Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama addressed the media on Sunday at Tirana’s “Mother Teresa” International Airport following his return from New York, where he represented Albania at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Rama devoted much of his statement to the recent arrest-house measure imposed on former State Intelligence Service (SHISH) director Vlora Hyseni, as well as to broader questions surrounding the justice system and the fight against corruption.
He said Hyseni’s criminal case was an individual matter between her and the justice authorities and reiterated that he would not comment on the evidence or the substance of the investigation. At the same time, Rama criticized what he described as the public disclosure of investigative secrets and the public condemnation of suspects before a court ruling.
“The investigation and trial of Vlora Hyseni are the exclusive responsibility of the justice system,” Rama said, adding that protecting SHISH and other state institutions from “unnecessary collateral damage” was a responsibility of the state as a whole.
Rama also defended Hyseni’s appointment as head of SHISH, saying she had previously worked as his adviser on security institutions and had received “excellent references” from partner intelligence services.
Rama: Justice must investigate, but suspects should not be tried in the media
Rama argued that the independence of the judiciary should not mean a separation from constitutional and legal responsibilities. He said prosecutors had the right and duty to investigate, courts to adjudicate and the media to inform and hold institutions accountable, but that no one should declare a person guilty before a court ruling.
He called for institutional reflection at the National Security Council meeting convened by President Bajram Begaj, particularly on safeguards for national security institutions when their officials become the subject of criminal investigations.
The prime minister also rejected opposition claims that investigations involving government officials demonstrate that corruption is growing within the government. Instead, he argued that such cases show that Albania’s justice institutions are increasingly able to investigate people holding positions of power.
“Corruption is not growing, it is being fought,” Rama said, presenting the justice reform as a central achievement of his government.
Rama defends justice reform and his government’s record
Rama strongly defended his political responsibility for Albania’s justice reform, saying that his government and the Socialist Party had accepted the political cost of creating an independent judiciary.
He argued that the current investigations into officials connected to government should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of government responsibility for their alleged actions, saying that a prime minister cannot predict or control every individual’s conduct.
Rama also rejected allegations that he had personally benefited from corruption, saying that during his more than 28 years in public service he had never traded political power for money, property or illegal favors.
He pointed to the government’s official museum of gifts as an example, saying that gifts received in his capacity as prime minister had been registered as state property.
“Albania will not turn back”
Toward the end of his address, Rama framed the current confrontation between the justice system and political power as part of what he called a historic transformation of Albania.
He said corruption remained a serious challenge but argued that the country now had independent institutions capable of investigating, prosecuting, judging and confiscating assets.
“The system was corruption yesterday; today the system is fighting corruption,” Rama said.
He concluded his address with a message emphasizing continuity in his government’s reform agenda:
“Today I have returned to Albania, but Albania will not turn back. No one and nothing will stop it, will stop us, will stop me.”
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