The mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, wants to participate in the meeting of the National Assembly of the Socialist Party, which will take place on November 14. Through an official letter sent from the detention center in Fier, Veliaj addressed today the General Secretary of the SP, Blendi Klosi and the prosecutor of the case in SPAK, requesting that he be guaranteed physical participation in the meeting or, if this is not possible, through a video conference link
In his request, Veliaj emphasizes that the security measure “arrest in prison” should not deprive him of the exercise of the political and statutory rights he enjoys as a member of the National Assembly, the Presidency of the SP and the leadership structures of the party in Tirana. He requests that he be given the opportunity to follow the discussions, take the floor, present proposals and participate in decision-making, arguing that the restriction of freedom of movement does not automatically mean the loss of these rights.
Veliaj also asks SPAK to urgently consider the request and coordinate with the penitentiary authorities to enable his participation. In the letter, he underlines that he does not request the change or suspension of the security measure, but only the guarantee of the exercise of his political rights, respecting the legal limitations of detention.
General Secretary of the Socialist Party of Albania
Prosecutor of the case at the Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK)
TO KNOW:
General Directorate of Prisons
Directorate of IEVP Fier
SUBJECT: Urgent request for the guarantee of participation and the exercise of statutory rights in the meeting of the National Assembly of the Socialist Party, dated November 14, 2026, through physical participation or, alternatively, through video conference.
Dear Mr. Secretary General,
Dear Mr. Prosecutor,
On November 14, 2026, the meeting of the National Assembly of the Socialist Party of Albania, the most important body of the party's political direction and decision-making between the two congresses, was announced.
I am a member of the National Assembly, of the Presidency of the Socialist Party, political leader of the Tirana district, chairman of the Socialist Party of Tirana, as well as the elected chairman of the Municipality of Tirana. Consequently, my participation in this meeting is directly related to the exercise of the rights that arise from my membership and functions in the party's governing bodies
On November 14, 2026, the meeting of the National Assembly of the Socialist Party of Albania, the most important body of the party's political direction and decision-making between the two congresses, was announced.
I am a member of the National Assembly, of the Presidency of the Socialist Party, political leader of the Tirana district, chairman of the Socialist Party of Tirana, as well as the elected chairman of the Municipality of Tirana. Consequently, my participation in this meeting is directly related to the exercise of the rights that come from my membership and functions in the party's governing bodies.
I am currently in custody at IEVP Fier, in implementation of the personal security measure assigned to me. This circumstance limits my freedom of movement, but does not entail, in itself, the loss of my political and statutory rights, insofar as their exercise is compatible with the legal restrictions arising from the security measure and the detention regime. The right to organize and participate in political life enjoys constitutional and conventional protection. Articles 17 and 46 of the Constitution, as well as article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, require that restrictions on the exercise of these rights have a legal basis and respect the principle of proportionality.
My participation in the meeting of the National Assembly is of particular importance, as I intend to personally present my positions, proposals and requests on issues related to the functioning of the Socialist Party, the exercise of the responsibilities of its bodies and the future of the political organization I belong to.
For these reasons, I request to be enabled to participate in the meeting of the National Assembly on November 14, 2026, preferably physically and if this is not possible, through a direct audio-visual connection.
I
I. REQUEST TO THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY
In the capacity of the authority responsible for the organization and coordination of the activity of the party bodies, I ask you to undertake the organizational and technical measures to guarantee my effective participation in the meeting of the National Assembly.
In particular, I request:
1 To be officially notified of the time, place, agenda and documents to be considered at the meeting on November 14, 2026.
2 To take measures to enable my physical participation, if this is authorized by the competent authorities.
3 Alternatively, provide the technical infrastructure for my direct connection by video conference from IEVP Fier, with the possibility to follow the discussions, to take the floor, to present proposals and to exercise the other rights recognized by the Statute.
4 To pre-coordinate the actions with the administration of IEVP Fier and the General Directorate of Prisons for the realization of the audiovisual connection, respecting the security requirements of the institution.
5 If my direct participation is not possible, I should be given the opportunity to have my written position presented to the Assembly and reflected in the documentation of the meeting, without considering this alternative as an automatic replacement of the right to participate.
Participation in a collegial body is not limited only to learning about its decisions. It includes the real opportunity to listen, to be heard, to discuss and to participate in decision-making, according to the statutory rules.
II. REQUEST TO THE PROSECUTOR OF THE CASE
Since I am under the measure of personal security “arrest in prison”, I ask you to urgently consider the legal possibility of my physical participation in the meeting of the National Assembly and, according to your competence, give the relevant approval or forward the request without delay to the competent authority for decision-making. If physical participation cannot be realized, I request that my participation be considered and enabled via video conference from the premises of IEVP Fier.
This alternative does not require my departure from the institution, does not affect the implementation of the security measure and can be organized under the supervision of the penitentiary administration, respecting the legal and security conditions. I emphasize that my request is not aimed at changing, suspending or avoiding the measure of personal insurance. It aims only at finding a proportionate way to exercise a political and statutory right, without compromising the legitimate purposes of detention. For this reason, I request that any restriction or refusal be based on a concrete legal basis, be justified and consider the possibility of remote participation as a less restrictive alternative.
III. EMERGENCY OF REVIEW
Given that the meeting of the National Assembly is scheduled for November 14, 2026, I request that this request be considered immediately and that the decision be communicated to me in sufficient time for the organization of participation. The lack of an answer before the meeting would make it practically impossible to exercise my right to participate in a concrete political decision-making process.
