FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Erion Veliaj's international lawyers reacted today after the announcement that SPAK has completed the investigations and has named the mayor as a defendant.
According to their statement, this gives them the opportunity to review the evidence in the file, oppose the position of the special prosecution, and present evidence in defense of the former mayor of Tirana.
In the statement, the lawyers emphasize that Veliaj categorically denies all charges and consider his prolonged detention as “unreasonable, unnecessary and disproportionate.” They add that, according to them, some of the requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights have not been respected, including their client’s limited access to international lawyers.
The defense also raises concerns about the leaking of information about the investigation to the media, which it describes as a violation of investigative secrecy. "We will continue to work closely with the local legal team and pursue every possible legal remedy," the response concludes.
Full reaction
Today, 163 days after Mr. Erion Veliaj was detained, the results of the SPAK's lengthy investigation have been submitted to him by the Special Prosecution. Mr. Veliaj's lawyers can now begin reviewing the evidence in the case, challenge SPAK's position on him, and present evidence in support of the defense.
Mr. Veliaj categorically denies all allegations of wrongdoing. We remain convinced that the continued detention of Mr. Veliaj is unreasonable, unnecessary and disproportionate. We have serious concerns that the requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) have not been respected in his case. Unfortunately, for almost 3 months, Mr. Veliaj has been prevented from having access to his international legal counsel, which seriously undermines his ability to exercise the rights guaranteed by the ECHR.
As a democratically elected official who has been prevented from exercising his mandate, it is essential that SPAK has assessed the necessity of continuing his detention. To date, there is no evidence that this has been done.
We are deeply concerned about the way the investigation has been conducted. Recently, details regarding the conclusion of the investigation and the Prosecutor’s Office report have been leaked to the Albanian media. This leak of information is consistent with the treatment that has been meted out to Mr. Veliaj since the day of his arrest, where prejudicial data on the SPAK investigation have been continuously published in the public domain. From the information received from his local lawyers, we understand that these leaks constitute a violation of investigative secrecy under Albanian legislation.
We will continue to work closely with Mr. Veliaj's local legal team and pursue every possible legal remedy.
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