The debate over replacing the five in Omonia continues Former MP Panajot Barka sues the publisher of “Llajikovima” The debate over replacing the five in Omonia continues The minority split in two Former MP Panajot Barka sues the publisher of “Llajikovima” The issue of the five has gone beyond the boundaries of their organization. The conflict that has long been raging within the minority organization over whether or not they should return to leadership positions has, for the past two months, also involved the only two newspapers in the Greek language. In one of its editorial articles, “Llajikovima” described the debate as a new trial of the five Omonia leaders, who were convicted nearly a year ago by the Albanian justice system as well. Meanwhile, Zëri i Omonia, the organization’s official publication, has long maintained that there is no longer an issue concerning the five, thus taking the side of Omonia’s leaders, who have called for the removal of the five convicted men. This time, however, the debate has returned to the courtroom. Former Omonia MP Barka, now a journalist, has asked the justice system to help resolve his conflict with his counterpart, the director of Llajikovima. The conflict is expected to continue and turn not merely into an issue concerning the five, but into an existential problem for the minority organization itself. Page 3 Photo: A. BABANI

Yesterday, at a meeting of the General Prosecutor’s Office Their fate will be decided by the High Council of Justice The extended meeting at the General Prosecutor’s Office lasted without interruption from 09:00 to 13:30. All the Tirana prosecutors mentioned in the inspection report spoke and offered various justifications. The remarks of the current head of the Tirana court, Qazim Gjini, made an impression: although he has only just taken up the post, he praised the work of the capital’s prosecutors. Meanwhile, the Chief Prosecutor of Tirana justified the violations of the law, including those identified in last year’s inspection. Justice Minister Frashëri took a hard line on the prosecution’s tendency to defend defendants, noting that 170 suspended sentences had been requested, even in cases involving serious crimes such as illegal possession of firearms, for which the penalty ranges from 5 to 15 years in prison. Alush Dragoshi, the General Prosecutor, took a very hard line and directly criticized the heads of the Tirana prosecution service. “Measures will be taken against the prosecutors,” he stressed, referring both to his own authority and to that of the High Council of Justice. Read on page 2 The heads of the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office, Qeleshi and Gjokutaj

More than 90% of the Democratic Party’s promises were not fulfilled Interview with Petrit Kalakulla, chairman of the Democratic Right Party Page 7

Protest by the Association of Professional Journalists following the detention of journalist Filip Çakuli Page 3

Three people are being sought, including the victim’s brother-in-law Yesterday in Tirana He was abducted and then brutally beaten. The victim of this dramatic incident was a young man from the capital, who ended up in the emergency department of the military hospital yesterday afternoon. The abductors have virtually been identified, while the motives for the incident have yet to be confirmed. The young man was 20-year-old Eduart Balthi, a resident of the “Ali Demi” neighborhood in Tirana, who was held hostage for around five hours yesterday by three people. After taking him from his home in the early hours of the morning, they drove him about 6 km southeast of the capital, near the village of Farkë. There, Bardhi was brutally beaten on the head and limbs with a hard object which, according to his statement to the police, was a pistol butt. At midday, he was rushed to the capital’s Hospital No. 2, where he subsequently contacted officers from Police Station No. 1. According to preliminary investigations, the abductors were Dritan Banushi, a resident of the “Ali Demi” neighborhood and the victim’s brother-in-law, and a third person who has not yet been identified. Immediately after the report was made, police forces began searching for the kidnappers. After receiving first aid from doctors at Hospital No. 2, the 20-year-old was urgently transferred to the military hospital. Although in shock after the hours of terror he had endured, Bardhi was able to explain the causes of the incident, which, for reasons of investigative secrecy, have yet to be confirmed. Following the case of a young man from Devoll who was abducted in the city of Vlora, and the two hostages during the farmers’ strike in Laknas, Tirana, this latest case makes this week deserving of the name “the week of hostages.” A. PEZA