Man on trial in Albania kills judge, injures two others in shooting

The presiding judge is alleged to have been shot and killed by a man in Tirana, the capital of Albania.

Astrit Kalaja, a judge of the appeals court, passed away on Monday while being taken to a hospital, according to Albanian police.

The 30-year-old suspect fled the scene, where he was later detained, and police added that the revolver he is thought to have used was also discovered.

A father and son who were witnesses to the trial were also shot by the gunman. Both of them were taken to the hospital, where it was determined that their injuries were not potentially life-threatening.

The court case involved a property dispute, according to the Albanian press.

The death of Kalaja was described by Albania’s prime minister as a “tragic event,” and he should “provoke a reflection” on the internal security of the courts.

Rama urged harsher sentences for crimes involving guns in a statement posted on X. According to him, the judge’s killer should face “the most extreme legal response.”

President Bajram Begaj, in contrast, described the shooting as “a terrible attack against the entire justice system.”

According to information from the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, there were 213 gun-related incidents in Albania between January and June of this year.

The illegal gun possession offense is punishable by three years in jail in Albania.

Albania has seen a significant court backlog since the country’s massive court backlog, with tens of thousands of cases delayed for years, sincesweeping judicial reforms supported by the European Union and the United States were introduced in Albania in 2016.