Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama paid tribute on Wednesday to the four citizens killed during a 2011 protest in Tirana, marking the 15th anniversary of the violence, and called for accountability for what he described as state-sanctioned killings.
The ceremony, held at the Prime Ministry building, commemorated the deaths during a demonstration organized by the Socialist Party. Rama told the families of the victims that the situation escalated after police attempted to disperse the gathering before it fully assembled. He said firearms were pointed at civilians on official orders, resulting in four deaths and several injuries.
Rama suggested that the killings were a deliberate display of political power, implicitly criticizing former Prime Minister Sali Berisha. “It was the fatal consequence of a criminal mindset that seemingly wanted to demonstrate to political opponents and Albanians that it could kill without consequence,” he said.
The Prime Minister added that even after a 2024 European Court of Human Rights ruling, special prosecutors have yet to bring those responsible to justice. He criticized the failures of Albania’s judicial system, saying reforms and institutional changes over the past years have not sufficed to erase the shadow of injustice.
Rama described the emotional toll of the anniversary on himself, saying he feels a “stone in his heart” each year as the date approaches. He emphasized the prolonged suffering of the victims’ families, calling the 15-year delay in justice “a lifetime of anxiety and humiliation” for them.
Responding to criticism over the lack of prosecutions, Rama acknowledged his own frustration and the continued culture of impunity, noting that Albanian prisons now hold more pre-trial detainees than convicted prisoners.
The commemorations come amid ongoing political tensions in Albania, where questions about judicial accountability and rule of law remain central to public debate.