ADVERTISEMENTThousands of opposition supporters in Albania staged a protest in the capital, Tirana, on Thursday, demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama step down. The demonstrators accused Rama, who has been in power since 2012, of corruption.
The protesters pelted a government building and the mayor of Tirana's office, who is affiliated with the prime minister's Socialist Party.
Police put out the fires caused by the bombs, and there were no reports of more serious altercations or injuries.
The demonstrators also demanded the release of opposition leader Sali Berisha, who has been held under house arrest on corruption charges since last year, in a move many say is politically motivated.
The former Prime Minister, who leads the opposition Democratic Party, had called for the protests from his house arrest.
Berisha made a video link statement, saying, "Albania is the only country in Europe with its opposition leader under political arrest without any facts, evidence, or documents." "Edi Rama wants an Albania without Albanians, without opposition, and without justice."
In October 2023, prosecutors accused Berisha of allegedly abusing his post to help his son-in-law, Jamarber Malltezi, privatize public land to build 17 apartment buildings.
Prosecutors have yet to take the formal charges to court, and Berisha is still technically under investigation.
Berisha, 79, and Malltezi, 52, both have proclaimed their innocence, alleging the case was a political move by the ruling Socialist Party of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Prosecutors have said that if Berisha is convicted, he faces a prison sentence of up to 12 years.