The international organization Lawyers for Lawyers has expressed deep concern about public threats against lawyer Gentian Sejrani, calling on the Albanian authorities to immediately withdraw any warning of criminal prosecution or disciplinary measures against him.

In a statement, the organization says that the reaction of the Minister of the Interior, Besfort Lamallari, made on July 4, came after Sejrani made public, in accordance with his client's instructions, allegations of police abuse against a protester detained during the "Flamingo Revolution" demonstrations.

According to Lawyers for Lawyers, the threats of criminal and disciplinary proceedings appear to be directly related to the lawyer's professional activity and the legal protection he has provided to arrested protesters.

The organization recalls that Gentian Sejrani is a public interest lawyer and executive director of the organization Dreztësia Sociale, which provides legal aid to vulnerable groups. According to the statement, a client of his, arrested on July 2 during a protest in front of the Parliament, had reported to him that he had been physically and sexually abused during his detention by the police. After legal consultation, Sejrani made these allegations public and requested an investigation by the Ombudsman and the Albanian Helsinki Committee.

In his public reaction, Minister Lamallari described the accusations as unfounded and warned that, if the investigations did not support them, criminal proceedings would be initiated against the lawyer for "incitement to hatred", as well as the National Chamber of the Bar reviewing the case for ethical violations.

REACTION
Lawyers for Lawyers is deeply concerned by the public threats made on July 4 by the Minister of Interior of Albania against lawyer Gentian Sejrani, after he relayed to the media his client’s allegations of police abuse in accordance with his professional duties and his client’s clear instructions. These threats, which sought criminal prosecution and disciplinary proceedings, appear to be directly related to Mr. Sejrani’s legal representation of protesters detained during the ongoing ‘Flamingo Revolution’ demonstrations. We call on the Albanian authorities to immediately withdraw these threats and ensure that Mr. Sejrani can carry out his professional duties without fear of reprisal.

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Gentian Sejrani is an Albanian public interest lawyer and the Executive Director of Social Justice, a non-profit organization that provides legal assistance to marginalized and vulnerable individuals and communities in Albania. Since the outbreak of the “Flamingo Revolution” protests, which began as demonstrations against a large-scale infrastructure project for its suspected impact on the environment and evolved into a broader anti-corruption movement, he has represented many young people and other individuals arrested or detained by the police.

According to the information received, Mr. Sejrani’s client was arrested on 2 July 2026, while participating in protests in front of the Albanian Parliament in Tirana, when he reportedly suffered an epileptic seizure and was taken by ambulance for emergency treatment before being transferred to Police Station No. 1. During a subsequent legal consultation, which took place in conditions that did not fully ensure lawyer-client confidentiality due to inadequate facilities, the client informed Mr. Sejrani that he had been physically and sexually abused during detention and had shown visible signs of injury. Acting on his client’s clear instructions, Mr. Sejrani relayed these allegations to the media and called on the Ombudsman and the Albanian Helsinki Committee to immediately investigate the allegations.

Public threats from the Minister of Interior
In response, the Albanian Minister of the Interior, Besfort Lamallari, published a statement on social media ( Facebook , 4 July 2026) dismissing the accusations publicly raised by Mr. Sejrani as ‘unfounded’ and warning of criminal and disciplinary consequences. He stated that, if the police investigations reached the same conclusion, it would be the ‘right and duty’ of the State Police to initiate criminal proceedings against Mr. Sejrani on suspicion of ‘incitement to hatred’ and to request that the National Chamber of the Bar examine his actions for suspicions of ethical and professional misconduct – with possible consequences for his license to practice law. Following the Minister’s statement, Mr. Sejrani has been the target of numerous defamatory and abusive attacks on social media. Investigations into the client's allegations of abuse have reportedly been opened by both the People's Advocate (Ombudsman) and the Police Oversight Agency; neither has reached conclusions to date.

The Minister’s statements raise concerns that Mr. Sejrani is being targeted because of his professional activities and his association with clients or causes that are viewed critically by the authorities. The Albanian Helsinki Committee, along with 23 other civil society organizations, expressed similar concerns and called for an independent investigation into the alleged ill-treatment. This case arises against the backdrop of broader concerns about the authorities’ response to public criticism, protests and freedom of expression.

International standards on the legal profession and lawyers' right to freedom of expression.
The independence of the legal profession and the ability of lawyers to perform their professional duties free from any form of intimidation is fundamental to the protection of human rights and the rule of law. The UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers provide that lawyers should be able to perform their professional functions without intimidation, obstruction, harassment or inappropriate interference (Principle 16), and should not identify with their clients or their clients’ causes as a result of the performance of their professional duties (Principle 18). These standards are also reflected in the Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers (2000)21 on the freedom of exercise of the profession of lawyer and the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyers (“Luxembourg Convention”), which Albania signed on 15 June 2026.

Under international law and standards, lawyers, like other individuals, enjoy the right to freedom of expression, including in their professional role. Protecting lawyers’ right to freedom of expression is not only important for the individuals concerned. It also serves to protect the important public function that lawyers play in a democratic society to comment on matters relating to the rule of law and the administration of justice. This right is guaranteed under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), to both of which Albania is a party.

The European Court of Human Rights has consistently held that lawyers have the right to comment publicly on the administration of justice and to speak out in defence of their clients' interests outside the courtroom, provided that such statements are made in good faith and remain within legitimate professional boundaries. [1] This is reflected in Article 7 of the Luxembourg Convention, which expressly guarantees the right of lawyers 'to inform the public about matters relating to their clients' cases'.

Lawyers for Lawyers considers that the Albanian Minister’s public threat of criminal prosecution and disciplinary sanctions, issued in direct response to Mr. Sejrani’s performance of his protected professional functions, appears incompatible with Albania’s obligations under these instruments – particularly in light of Albania’s recently expressed commitment to the Luxembourg Convention.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Therefore, we call on the Albanian authorities to:

Publicly and unequivocally withdraw the Minister of Interior's threats against lawyer Gentian Sejrani;
To refrain from any criminal, disciplinary or administrative action against Mr. Sejrani in connection with the lawful exercise of his professional duties;
To ensure that the National Chamber of Advocates in Albania can exercise its self-governing functions independently and free from political interference;
Guarantee, in law and in practice, the rights and protections set out in the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, in accordance with Albania's recent commitment to this instrument.