As the Special Court has begun examining the criminal charges against the mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj has addressed the Constitutional Court for the third time. Earlier, he won the right to return to the office of mayor in the Constitutional Court, while he expects to face the May 20 session for the security measure, aiming for freedom and return to office. Meanwhile, through a new request filed this Friday in court, Veliaj insists on the annulment of decision no. 29, dated 09.02.2026, of the Special Court for the transfer of his criminal file to trial, as well as the invalidity of all actions carried out on the basis of this decision.
"This process has been conducted in serious violation of fundamental rights. Mr. Veliaj and his defense have been denied real time to analyze a file with tens of thousands of pages, reducing the defense to a formality; The principle of equality of arms has been violated, as the prosecution has acted in full procedural advantage; The trial has been conducted in conditions that violate the independence and impartiality of the court; Mr. Veliaj has been treated in a manner that violates the presumption of innocence and human dignity, including being held in isolation during hearings where he should defend himself freely," his lawyer, Plaent Ndreca, said in a statement to the media.
Meanwhile, in the 60-page request submitted to the Court, Ndreca says that the decision to send the case to trial was made on the basis of a fundamentally compromised process, producing an unconstitutional and, consequently, invalid process, which cannot produce valid legal consequences.
Erion Veliaj is indicted by SPAK on 13 criminal charges, including corruption, money laundering, concealment of assets, abuse of office and bringing illegal items into prison. SPAK accuses Veliaj of favoring various businessmen during his term as mayor, who have injected money in the form of bribes into companies controlled directly or indirectly by his wife, Ajola Xoxa.
