Sali Berisha’s attorney to face charges for incitement to violence

The police have initiated criminal proceedings against Genc Gjokutaj, an attorney and close ally of Sali Berisha, the leader of the Democratic Party of Albania. Gjokutaj faces accusations of incitement to violence following a social media post in which he called for citizens to commit violent actions against public service providers, the police, and Socialist Party volunteers.

Context

Mr. Gjokutaj’s proceedings come mere days after the police began investigating Adriana Kalaja, another prominent Democratic Party and Sali Berisha supporter, for threats of violence against the Prime Minister. Sali Berisha himself is notorious for issuing violent threats against his opponents, as is his ally, former President Ilir Meta, who during the last electoral campaign called on people to rise up and sharpen their axes, pitchforks, and scythes in preparation for Election Day.

So what happened

According to the Tirana police, Gjokutaj is charged with “Public Calls for Violent Actions” after a Facebook post where he urged his followers to “break the service counters that do not provide services, beat the police officers who protect thieves, and kill the election canvassers (of the Socialist Party) who steal their future.” The case has been forwarded to the Prosecutor’s Office for further investigation, as outlined under Article 223 of the Penal Code.

The Cybercrime Investigation Sector of the Tirana Police Department referred the case to the Prosecutor’s Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction in Tirana, after monitoring and identifying the incendiary post across various online media platforms.

Adriana Kalaja, on the other hand, is facing an investigation for a recent threat against Prime Minister Edi Rama. In response to comments on a selfie where she aimed a handgun, under the caption “I never get tired of using a microphone or a gun,” she told her followers that she had a better picture in which the gun is pointed at [Prime Minister] Rama’s head. This dramatic declaration has led to an official investigation into Kalaja for making threats against the Prime Minister.