Convicted former interior minister wins retrial 

TIRANA, Sept. 28 – Lawyers for Saimir Tahiri, Albania’s former interior minister and former high official in the ruling Socialist Party, have convinced the High Court to give him a retrial by a different panel of judges in the Appeals Court. 

Tahiri was convicted and given 40 months in jail back in 2019 for “abuse of power” in a case that tied him to a drug trafficking network. The first instance court then converted the punishment to three years probation, and barred him from exercising public office during that time

Special Prosecution against Organized Crime (SPAK) prosecutors had urged the High Court to order a retrial at the first instance court where Tahiri could face higher charges.

The Special Court of Appeals ruled in June 2020 that Tahiri had the right to a retrial because the lower court had dropped the original heavy charges related to drug trafficking and organized crime and had convicted Tahiri of a lower crime, with which prosecutors had not charged him. 

Prosecutors had originally demanded a 12-year prison sentence, after an investigation tying Tahiri to the Habilaj Brothers Network, which was brought down by Italian authorities for being involved in an Italian-Albanian drug-trafficking ring. 

Tahiri maintains his innocence and is appealing the case to overturn the abuse of power conviction.

Largely viewed as being one of the top contenders to succeed Prime Minister Edi Rama before the trial, Tahiri’s political career has been completely derailed as a result of the case.