Former Albanian president arrested on corruption charges, opposition claims charges are politically motivated

Former Albanian President Ilir Meta was arrested on Tuesday in the capital of Tirana on suspected money-laundering and corruption charges, as well as hiding personal income following a visit to Kosovo.

State police wearing black masks abruptly stopped his car and apprehended Meta, according to local media reports. The police claimed they had no choice but to use force, according to Reuters.

Albania's Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime said in a statement that Meta’s arrest came after a five-year investigation, according to The Associated Press.

"I am confident in the victory of our national and democratic causes! The enemies of our nation and democracy will have the smile wiped off their faces. My abduction today in the most bandit-like manner reveals the panic of the dictatorial regime when faced with the truth," Meta said in a statement on X shortly after his arrest.

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The Balkans, a volatile region in Europe with longstanding ethnic divisions, has a history of political instability. There are fears that the arrest of a popular former leader could raise tensions ahead of elections in 2025.

Albania’s opposition accused Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama of politicizing the judiciary and law enforcement to target his political opponents. 

Some longtime observers of the region also expressed concern regarding some of the recent developments.

"The arrest of the former president of Albania indicates that the rule of the current Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, has been taking an increasingly authoritarian bent. Without intending to prejudice the court ruling, the charges and the timing of the arrest are suspicious and may indicate that Rama is weaponizing law enforcement to go after his political opponents," a high-ranking diplomatic source with expert knowledge of the region told Fox News Digital.

Agim Nesho, former Albanian ambassador to the U.S. and the United Nations, told Fox News Digital that the arrest of Meta by the authorities makes its intent clear.

"It was an act of political showmanship, with dozens of armed personnel arresting the former President forcefully in the middle of the day in a crowded street, while people were filming on their phones," Nesho said.

Nesho also said that the charges against the opposition leaders pale in scope and comparison to what he called the systematic theft being orchestrated by the current government. 

"The current prime minister is the most corrupt leader in modern Albanian history. International media regularly reports that he directly threatens foreign journalists looking into his affairs, and leads a political party and government whose members are accused of billions of dollars in corruption."

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Meta was president from 2017 to 2022, was allied with current Prime Minister Rama and his ruling Socialist Party, and now leads the opposition and centrist Freedom Party. Once allies, Meta and Rama are now bitter political rivals. Meta is a frequent critic of Rama and claims the current government is becoming increasingly corrupt and authoritarian.

Corruption, especially in the judiciary, is pervasive in Albania, and the courts are often under political pressure and influence, while due process is enforced inconsistently, according to Freedom House.

The weaponization of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies, the diplomatic source from the Balkans said, is part of a broader pattern in the region. Authoritarian Balkan leaders, especially Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Rama, are sweet-talking the West with stories of a "commitment to a European future" and "regional economic integration" while acting like authoritarians at home and often acting directly against U.S. and European Union (EU) interests in the region, the diplomat said.

Rama is a co-leader of the "Open Balkans" initiative, a proposal that would facilitate a freer flow of people and goods across the Balkans. Many people in Albania and across the Balkans oppose the initiative over fears that it is a Serbian ploy to supplant the common regional market of Europe and would threaten Balkan countries' desire to join the EU.

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Fox News Digital spoke to Meta in May 2024, and he warned of the dangers of the "Open Balkans" initiative, calling it an "alternative against European integration." He feared it would strengthen hybrid regimes like Serbia that will undermine free and fair elections, eliminate political pluralism, and target the media and freedom of speech.

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Meta is not the only political figure who was recently detained. Another former president and prime minister and political opponent of Rama, Sali Berisha, was also charged with corruption and put under house arrest.

"The Albanian Police (criminals in uniform), following the orders of Edi Rama, abducted and punched in the head, in public the former President, former Prime Minister, and former Speaker of Parliament, Ilir Meta. I strongly condemn their monstrous act!," Berisha said in a statement on X.

The State Department referred Fox News Digital to Albanian authorities for further details regarding the case. However, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "The United States supports Albania’s progress on rule of law, including the efforts of SPAK to prosecute high-level corruption and organized crime, in accordance with the law."

Repeated requests for comment went unanswered from spokespeople for the Albanian prime minister and the Albanian Embassy in Washington, D.C.