Murder of Judge Astrit Kalaja: the Prosecution closes the investigations and sends Elvis Shkambi, his uncle and the Appeals Court guard to trial

The Tirana Prosecution has completed the investigations into the murder of Judge Astrit Kalaja inside the Court of Appeal in Tirana and has sent three people to trial, including two accused of the offences linked to the incident and the court’s security employee, who is accused of abuse of office.

According to the Prosecution, Elvis Shkambi will face charges of “Murder of public officials”, “Murder in other qualifying circumstances” against the parties to the proceedings, remaining at the attempt stage, and “Unlawful possession and production of weapons, explosive weapons and ammunition”.

His uncle, Gjon Shkambi, has also been sent to trial, accused of “Murder in other qualifying circumstances”, while the security employee B.K. is accused of “Abuse of office”.

The investigations began on 6 October 2025, after police were notified that Judge Astrit Kalaja had been shot with a firearm inside the Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction in Tirana.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place during a court hearing concerning the objection to enforcement actions. After the judge announced the decision, Elvis Shkambi pulled a pistol from his belt and fired several times at him.

He then, according to the Prosecution, pointed the weapon at R.K. and E.K., who tried to leave the courtroom. As a result, E.K. was wounded in the right hand, while R.K. suffered injuries to the body.

After the incident, Elvis Shkambi handed the weapon to the court’s security employee and went out into the courtyard, where he was arrested in flagrante.

From the investigations, the Prosecution says it emerged that Elvis Shkambi carried out the incident in cooperation with Gjon Shkambi. According to the charge, there had been an ongoing property dispute between them and the family of E.K.

Elvis Shkambi stated during the investigations that he had had the weapon with him at other hearings as well, and that his uncle, Gjon Shkambi, had been aware of this fact.

Meanwhile, the Prosecution has charged the security employee B.K. with abuse of office, since according to the investigations he did not carry out a physical check of the two men and did not register them in the court’s entry-exit book.

From the examination of the register, according to the Prosecution, it emerged that their entry had not been recorded. At the same time, the security employee remained seated and did not carry out the physical check, allowing one of them to enter the court premises with a weapon.

According to the prosecution, the failure to carry out the security check caused a concrete and serious breach of the rules intended to protect security in justice institutions.

THE PROSECUTION’S NOTICE
The Tirana Prosecution completes the investigations and sends to trial, for three criminal offences, E.Sh. and Gj.Sh. over the murder of Judge A.K. The security employee is also sent to trial for ‘Abuse of office’.

The Prosecution at the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction, Tirana, completed the investigations and sends to trial E.Sh., for the criminal offences of ‘Murder of public officials’ and ‘Murder in other qualifying circumstances’ against the parties to the proceedings, remaining at the attempt stage, as well as ‘Unlawful possession and production of weapons, explosive weapons and ammunition’, provided for by Articles 79/a, 79/ç and 278/1 of the Criminal Code.
Likewise, Gj.Sh. was sent to trial for ‘Murder in other qualifying circumstances’, and B.K. for ‘Abuse of office’, provided for by Articles 79/ç and 248 of the Criminal Code.
The investigations into criminal proceeding no. 7416 of 2025 began on 06.10.2025, after at around 15:38 the operations room of the Tirana Local Police Directorate was notified that Judge A.K. had been shot with a firearm inside the Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction, Tirana.

From the first investigative actions, including the examination of the scene and the preliminary review of film footage, it emerged that Judge A.K. was shot inside the Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction, Tirana, during a court hearing on “Objection to enforcement actions”, with R.K. as claimant and Gj.Sh. and his nephew E.Sh. as third parties.

Immediately after the judge announced the decision, the defendant E.Sh. pulled a pistol from his belt and fired several times at the judge. He then pointed the pistol at R.K. and E.K., who tried to leave the room, wounding E.K. in the right hand and injuring R.K. in the body.

Immediately after this act, the defendant E.Sh. handed the firearm to the Court’s security employee and went out into the Court’s courtyard, where he was caught in flagrante.

At the conclusion of the investigations, and from the evidence administered, it emerged that the defendant E.Sh. committed the criminal offence in cooperation with the defendant Gj.Sh., and that these citizens have committed all the criminal offences with which they are charged. E.Sh. stated that he had had the weapon at other hearings too and that his uncle knew this fact. The evidence shows that there had been an ongoing property dispute between them and the family of E.K.

As for the defendant B.K., it emerges that he has committed, in all its elements, the criminal offence of Abuse of office provided for by Article 248 of the Criminal Code.

The investigations showed that both E.Sh. and Gj.Sh. entered the court unchecked, and one of them had a weapon, which he used inside the room, as a result of which Judge A.K. lost his life and two other people were injured. In this case there is a concrete, direct and exceptionally serious breach of the legal interest that the security rules were intended to protect.

B.K. remained seated and took no action to carry out a physical check. At the same moment, he also failed to register them in the entry-exit book, and this is proven by the examination of the register.