Albanian opposition leader Sali Berisha was placed under house arrest. Albanian media reported that the Special Court responsible for corruption and organized crime today ordered, at the request of the Public Prosecutor, that the politician not be allowed to leave his home in Tirana until further notice, and that he is only allowed to communicate with family members. His lawyers want to appeal the ruling.
Investigations are also against his brother-in-law
The Public Prosecutor's Office suspects that the former Prime Minister abused his position in connection with the privatization of the Partizani Sports Center in Tirana, from which his son-in-law Jamarber Maltezi is said to have benefited. The Public Prosecutor's Office is also investigating him. He is also under house arrest. The opposition leader denies these accusations. On December 21, the parliament in Tirana lifted his immunity, paving the way for criminal investigations.
Berisha has been on the US sanctions list since 2021
The United States placed 78-year-old Berisha on its sanctions list in 2021 due to suspected corruption. In 1992, Albanians elected him as the first freely elected president after the end of communism. He was prime minister from 2005 to 2013. Until 2013, Berisha also led the conservative Democratic Party of Albania, to which he returned as president last year.
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