Since January 21st 2011, the Albanian justice system has given only two
verdicts regarding the January 21st killings, one for Faik Myrtaj and
one for Ziver Veizi. It remains unknown who are the killers of Hekuran
Deda and Aleks Nika.
Seven other demonstrators were wounded, and no one has found the author. The case had under investigation the National Guard Director, Ndrea Prendi, and the Special Police officer, Agim Llupo, both relieved of their accusations.
Llupo waited his trial in prison while Prendi was in house arrest. Both were tried of premeditated murder and for putting in danger the life of multiple persons.
This accusation was dropped and the defendants were found innocent, while the Prosecutor requested 23 years in prison for Ndrea Prendi and 25 for Llupo.
The Court of Tirana even criticized the Prosecution of not providing the investigations that proved the circumstances in which Ndrea Prendi had fired his gun. The question of the Court is what reason had Commander Ndrea Prendi to shoot during the protests.
Within 2013, the Court of Appeal rejected for a second time the persistence of the Prosecution, which stood to the version of premeditated murder.
The Court of Appeal considers the two former National Guard officials guilty for manslaughter, sentencing Prendi with 1 year and Llupo with 3 years.
For the Court of Appeal, the usage of force by Prendi and Llupo by firing their weapons after some warnings was based in law, but proportional to the danger that was being posed by the victims, who were not part of the aggressive protesters.
The Prosecution addressed to the final instance of the judiciary, which has been keeping the January 21st case for more than two years, since October 2013.
When contacted by Top Channel, the press office of the Supreme Court explained that the Criminal College has finalized studying the case and will announce a decision within February.
Top Channel
