A 19-year-old being treated at the Trauma Hospital told the health minister that he had no connection to the protest and was on the street by chance when, according to the version he presented, he was beaten by police officers and ended up with a broken leg. The case has prompted an institutional response, but remains under verification by the responsible authorities.
The young man’s statement from the hospital
During a visit to the Trauma Hospital, Health Minister Klodiana Spahiu met with the injured 19-year-old. The young man is heard saying that he had nothing to do with the protest and was simply passing through the street.
His claim shifts attention to the way the police intervened and to the question of whether force was used against a person who, according to his own statement, was not part of the gathering.
What institutions have done after the case
After the incident, according to the official announcement, four police officers as well as the head of Police Station No. 1 were suspended from duty.
Investigations have also been launched by the Police Oversight Agency and the Prosecution, two institutions expected to clarify the full circumstances of the episode and the specific responsibilities.
Questions over the proportionality of the intervention
The case once again raises questions about the use of force by police during the management of protests or tense situations on the ground, especially when the claims speak of blows against people who deny involvement in the gathering.
The suspension of the employees is an initial administrative measure, but it does not yet provide answers about what actually happened on the ground. That remains a matter for the criminal and administrative investigation that has been opened.
So far, the public version of the incident consists of the young man’s statement at the hospital and the measures taken by institutions after the incident.
What remains to be proven is whether this was a case of police overstepping their authority and under what circumstances the 19-year-old ended up seriously injured.