Local democracy under attack: B40 Balkan mayors issue joint statement on Veliaj

The B40 Network of Balkan Cities, which represents dozens of elected mayors across the region, has published a joint statement on the case of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj. In the statement, the B40 network expresses deep concern over the implications that his pretrial detention has for the rule of law and local democracy in Albania.

The signatory mayors emphasize their respect for the independence of the Albanian judicial system but ask that the principles of proportionality be taken into account in the upcoming review. The statement also underlines that Veliaj remains the holder of a democratic mandate, given by the citizens of Tirana. In this context, the network cites previous positions of the Venice Commission, according to which restrictions on the ability of elected mayors to exercise their mandate may harm local autonomy. The signatories express hope that the September 15 review will give a fair and balanced answer to the concerns raised by the Constitutional Court.

Full statement:

Joint statement on the September 15 review by Albania’s High Court of the pretrial detention, the rule of law and local democracy in the case of Erion Veliaj, elected mayor of the Municipality of Tirana

As a network representing dozens of democratically elected mayors across the Balkans, we express our deep concern over the continued pretrial detention of Erion Veliaj, the elected Mayor of Tirana, and its implications for the rule of law, the protection of fundamental rights and local democracy in Albania.

Mayor Erion Veliaj has been in pretrial detention since February 10, 2025, and has now been detained for 19 months without conviction. In a historic decision of July 1, 2026, Albania’s Constitutional Court found that the High Court, at the previous level, had not carried out the required constitutional review when deciding on the continuation of his detention. The Court ruled that the lower courts had not sufficiently assessed whether detention remained necessary and proportionate, had not considered less restrictive alternative measures, and had overlooked the impact of prolonged detention on the exercise of his constitutional rights.

With the High Court’s review scheduled for September 15, we believe this is an important opportunity for the relevant judicial authorities to pay full and careful attention to the Constitutional Court’s decision, as well as to all circumstances related to the continuation of Mayor Veliaj’s detention.

We have full respect for the ongoing judicial process and for the independence of Albania’s courts. At the same time, we believe that the length of detention, together with the Constitutional Court’s findings, makes it particularly important that the principles of necessity, proportionality and the availability of alternative measures receive careful scrutiny.

These considerations are also important in the broader context of local democracy. Mayor Veliaj was elected by the citizens of Tirana and remains the holder of a democratic mandate. In this regard, the Venice Commission has previously emphasized that measures affecting the ability of an elected mayor to exercise his mandate can have significant implications for local autonomy and democratic representation. This broader principle is also reflected in the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which attaches special importance to the effective exercise of elected local mandates.

In this context, and fully respecting the independence of the judicial process, we hope that every appropriate option will be carefully considered so that the measures applied during the process remain proportionate and, where possible, allow the continuation of the exercise of the mandate that the citizens of Tirana entrusted to Mayor Veliaj.

We therefore await the upcoming review with the expectation that it will offer a meaningful opportunity to address the concerns identified by the Constitutional Court and to ensure that Mayor Veliaj’s fundamental rights are fully respected throughout the process.

The Constitutional Court’s decision has created an important opportunity for further review of Mayor Veliaj’s situation. We hope that the September 15 review will contribute to a fair, balanced and constructive assessment of the case, fully respecting both the judicial process and the democratic mandate that the people of Tirana entrusted to Mayor Veliaj.

Date: 11.09.2026

Signed by: Members and Mayors of the B40 Network of Balkan Cities

Source: original statement — https://b40network.org/v2/joint-statement/