Albania Lifts Immunity of Three MPs

Taulant Balla speaking in parliament

Parliament acted after the General Prosecutor, Ina Rama, last week asked it to strip three opposition MPs, Tom Doshi, Besnik Bare and Tualant Balla, of immunity in order to investigate their alleged roles during the January 21 riots.

Rama said there was reasonable evidence to suggest that the MPs might have committed the crime of “organizing and participating in an illegal protest and inciting violence”.

All three have have denied wrongdoing during the protests but have agreed with the request to lift their immunity, arguing that the prosecutors should be free to investigate them.

The protests on January 21, 2011 turned into a riot when several hundred opposition marchers attacked a police barricade set up to protect the Prime Minister’s office with sticks, stones and Molotov cocktails.

Police responded with tear gas, water cannons and later with live ammunition fire, leaving four protestors dead and dozens wounded.

Prosecutors last Monday arrested the head of the Republican Guard, General Ndrea Prendi, accused of murder of one of the protestors and of concealing evidence.

General Prendi’s driver and the head of IT in Prime Minister Sali Berisha's office have also been arrested for concealing evidence.

Agim Llupo, a Republican Guard officer, has been in jail since last February, suspected of the murder of two protestors.