Albanian judge shot dead in courtroom; Suspect arrested after fleeing
Judge Astrit Kalaja was shot inside a courtroom in Tirana by a 30-year-old suspect identified only by the initials E. Sh., according to police. Kalaja died while being transported to the hospital.
According to AP, two other individuals present during the hearing were also wounded in the shooting. Their injuries were not life-threatening, police said.
The motive for the attack has not yet been disclosed, and authorities have not released further details about the case being heard. However, court records suggest the matter involved a property dispute.
Police said the suspect attempted to escape after the attack but was apprehended soon afterward. A revolver believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered.
Albania’s judiciary has faced significant strain in recent years due to sweeping reforms launched in 2016 with support from the European Union and the United States. The overhaul, aimed at rooting out corruption, has resulted in thousands of judges and prosecutors being vetted or removed, leaving many courts with major backlogs and long delays in hearings.
