Names: GJKKO fines lawyers after the boycott over the censorship regulation, four of them appeal — proceedings begin

Four lawyers, Arben Peçi, Dorian Matlija, Gjon Kodra and Eduart Qehaja, have challenged in court the fines imposed on them by the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO) after their absence from court hearings.

The absences occurred because of the lawyers’ boycott, over the censorship regulation at the GJKKO.

The National Chamber of Advocacy had decided on an indefinite boycott of hearings at the GJKKO and later also of security measures, after the debate over the regulation, which among other things restricts bringing mobile phones into courtrooms.

In this situation, several hearings have failed, while fines of 5,000 to 10,000 new lekë have been imposed on the absent lawyers. Dorian Matlija was among the lawyers who publicly opposed the way the regulation is being implemented.

The lawyers oppose the measures and demand the “revocation of the fine”, linking their absences to the legal profession’s collective stance toward the new regulation.

For almost a month, no trial has been held at the First Instance Court against Corruption and Organized Crime. After the August break, only in the first week of the month were some court hearings held, while since September 9, when the lawyers began the boycott against the GJKKO’s censorship regulation, all proceedings have failed, including those against “VIP” names of politics and organized crime.

The latest was this Tuesday’s hearing against Tirana mayor Erion Veliaj. Judge Elsa Ulliri not only fined the lawyers 10,000 new lekë each for their absence, but also suspended the pre-trial detention deadlines for Veliaj, the only one from his file under the security measure of arrest in prison, as A2 reports.

Thus, the consequences of implementing a regulation are falling on the defendants, not only by dragging out their proceedings, but also more heavily, as in the case of Veliaj or Meta, with the suspension of pre-trial detention deadlines. Detainees are also penalized by the non-review of their requests for a review of the security measures.