Lawyer Artan Gjermeni has resigned from defending Mayor Erion Veliaj.
Invited to the Lunchtime Information Program with journalist Ola Bruko in News24, Gjermeni explained the reason for his decision, which comes after the court rejected his request for Veliaj to be familiar with the acts in the file.
The lawyer said that the procedure is not being respected in the Veliaj case, while adding that it is impossible for a voluminous 62-page file to be acquired in such a short time as the court has made available.
"A request with several points was implemented, which was submitted by Mr. Veliaj. The requests were;
– Immediate lifting of the measure to stay in the cage, which according to the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg was humiliating.
– Postponement of procedures until the acts were known.
The practices are referred to the Strasbourg Court. The lawyer and the defendant have an inability to communicate through the cage. This right has been considered a violation by the Court of Human Rights. We have requested that we also familiarize ourselves with the file. There are 61 thousand pages and there is no way to read the file in such a short time and forward it to the defendant. Does he have a sense of trust in the lawyer in this case? I resigned from the case, but I have not given up work until the lawyer starts her duties. I am a lawyer who will never in my life reflect negatively on the court. But this was the reason I resigned. When a lawyer cannot perform the elementary actions of his defendant, it is not worth continuing. What do we gain by postponing the trial? That's how we can talk. Or that he spends his birthday in prison? Or even Christmas. We have been given a 1-month deadline. The law is poorly written", he said.
