Kasowitz LLP Highlights Due Process Violations in Albanian Mayor's Case

Event summary

  • Kasowitz LLP released an updated report on March 11, 2026, examining due process defects in the prosecution of Erion Veliaj, Mayor of Tirana, Albania.
  • The report highlights SPAK's attempts to impair Veliaj's right to a fair trial by restricting access to 60,000 pages of evidence.
  • A three-judge panel recently directed SPAK to provide evidence to Veliaj and postponed the trial by two weeks.
  • SPAK has cited Veliaj's lobbying activities as a basis to prolong his pretrial detention, despite it not being a defined criterion.

The big picture

Kasowitz LLP's report underscores ongoing concerns about due process in Albania's legal system, particularly in high-profile cases involving political figures. The strategic anomaly here is SPAK's use of non-standard criteria to justify pretrial detention, which could signal broader governance issues. The case also highlights the potential for international scrutiny, given the U.S. government's involvement in SPAK's establishment.

What we're watching

Governance Dynamics
How SPAK's actions will affect the perception of judicial fairness in Albania.
Regulatory Headwinds
Whether the U.S. government will intervene given its role in establishing SPAK.
Execution Risk
The pace at which Veliaj can review and process the evidence before the trial resumes.