The family of Aleks Nika, who was killed during the January 21, 2011, protest, appeared at the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) today, providing testimony and pushing for further investigation into the tragic events.

Why is this relevant

The renewed investigation into the January 21 protest killings has given hope to the victims’ families that there will finally be accountability, but it has also provoked nervous and furious reactions from some of the politicians directly involved in the tragic events. As SPAK continues its investigation, the country watches closely to see if accountability will be established for the tragic events that has left a deep mark on its recent history.

Context

On January 21, 2011, a protest in Tirana, Albania, against the government of Prime Minister Sali Berisha turned deadly when security forces opened fire on demonstrators, resulting in four deaths. The protesters were rallying against corruption and government misconduct. A video recording of former President Ilir Meta, at the time Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Berisha Government, where he spoke to his Minister of Energy, with a notebook in hand about granting licenses and obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks, was the main reason behind the protest of January 21.

In the aftermath, Berisha declared that the protesters had been shot at close range by other protesters. He went public, accusing protesters of having been armed with pistols disguised as umbrellas and pens and of having shot each other to provoke tensions and blame his government. Following the release of video footage recorded by independent media that clearly showed that the victims, who were innocent bystanders watching what was happening from a distance, had been shot by the Guard of the Republic, Berisha changed his tune and accused the Socialist opposition of having tried to organize a coup against his government supported by the Attorney General and the President, both of whom were political appointees from his own party. He then proceeded to block all investigations into the killings, going to the extent of destroying the servers of the security cameras of his office and preventing prosecutors from interviewing members of the Guard of the Republic.

However, Aleks Nika’s family never gave up on trying to obtain justice and force Albania’s reluctant justice system to bring those responsible to justice. After three hours of testimony, Rajmonda Nika, Aleks Nika’s widow, stated to the media, “I provided clarifications and some new evidence.” She hinted at the existence of an audiotape, which she plans to submit later. Mark Nika, Aleks Nika’s uncle, demanded a thorough investigation to identify those who ordered the use of firearms against the protesters. “We need a complete investigation to uncover the command chain responsible for the January 21 events. We have previously submitted evidence to the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office, and we believe SPAK, being apolitical, will pursue this case to the end,” he asserted.

SPAK registered the criminal proceedings for the “January 21” case on July 15, investigating three criminal offenses: “Murder under other qualifying circumstances” committed in collaboration against multiple persons and dangerously for many lives, “Abuse of office” committed in collaboration, and “Obstruction of justice” committed in collaboration. The investigation was initiated following a request from Aleks Nika’s family, and the European Court of Human Rights also urged a more comprehensive investigation. This move by SPAK includes questioning key witnesses who have demanded that SPAK take over the investigation based on new evidence and reasons for their request.

The reactions

The reopening of the investigation has sparked significant political reactions. Former President and current leader of the Freedom Party, Ilir Meta, criticized SPAK’s head, Altin Dumani, accusing him of using the investigation to pressure former Prime Minister Sali Berisha. Meta blamed Lulzim Basha, the Interior Minister at the time of the protests, for not taking preventive measures despite being warned.

“SPAK is a criminal organization led by Dum Dumani. Their reopening of the January 21 case today is a clear attempt to distract from Dumani’s discreditation in Parliament last week,” Meta stated. He accused SPAK of trying to pressure Berisha and the opposition, asserting that the primary responsibility lies with Basha. “Basha was warned in writing about the scenario but took no action to prevent the killings,” Meta added, also implicating Prime Minister Edi Rama as an instigator of the protest.

In response to Meta’s accusations, Lulzim Basha, who at the time of the protest was one of Berisha’s closest confidants but was also rumored to be one of Meta’s closest allies, took to Facebook to refute his accusations, stating that justice needs to fully uncover the events of January 21. Basha highlighted that both Ilir Meta and Edi Rama’s roles as leader of the Socialist Party that organized the protest need to be investigated. He also shared a video of past parliamentary clashes between Meta and Berisha over the January 21 events, pointing out Meta’s past accusations against Berisha.

“Justice has much to uncover about January 21, starting from Ilir Meta, the man with the notebook, to Edi Rama, the organizer of the protest. Meta, who accused Berisha of monstrous crimes, now defends him,” Basha wrote.