The State Police has presented a heavy toll following the latest protests, announcing dozens of arrests, hundreds of criminal proceedings, and 120 officers injured in several cities. In the same appearance, police officials also raised the alarm over messages on social networks that, according to them, contain calls for extreme and terrorist acts.
The police toll for Tirana and other cities
According to the Director of the Department for Public Security, Dhimitraq Ziu, 127 people were arrested in Tirana and 244 others were prosecuted while remaining at liberty. The authorities link these measures to violence against police employees, damage to state institutions, destruction of public and private property, as well as damage to ATMs, cameras, vehicles, and metal barriers.
In Durrës, according to police, 23 people were caught in the act and arrested, and 12 others were prosecuted. In Korçë, 2 arrests and 23 prosecutions were reported, while in Vlorë 20 people were prosecuted for obstructing the teaching process, resisting police, and damaging public property.
In Shkodër, 9 people were prosecuted, in Elbasan 6, and in Kukës 10. Police state that in Shkodër a Public Order officer was also seriously injured and is in the Trauma Hospital, while the suspected perpetrator has been identified but was not arrested because of age.
120 officers injured, according to the official version
One of the main elements of the toll presented by police is the number of officers injured. According to the authorities, 120 police employees were injured in Tirana, Durrës, Lezhë, Shkodër, and Kukës during the clashes of recent days.
This is a serious institutional claim, made in a tense public climate, where the balance of damage and responsibilities remains part of investigations and verifications that are expected to also pass through the filter of justice.
Investigation into channels on social networks
Police said that the Cybercrime Investigation and Counterterrorism structures have taken under review activity in the virtual space, where several channels and communication groups are claimed to have been identified with criminal messages, including calls for extreme and terrorist acts, as well as threats against employees of the State Police.
According to the official statement, criminal proceedings have been registered over this issue and cooperation is under way with international partner agencies to identify IP addresses, administrators, and users suspected of inciting violence. At this stage, police have not made public names, concrete evidence, or the number of people identified.
The police’s political and institutional message
In its statement, police described as untrue some reports which, according to the institution, aim to fuel a climate of conflict and undermine citizens’ trust. There was also a call for protesters to distance themselves from masked individuals and acts of violence.
On the other hand, the institution insists that officers on the ground have been instructed to show restraint and proportionality during interventions. This remains a point that usually requires independent verification, especially when clashes at protests produce conflicting versions between authorities and participants.
For the moment, the toll presented is based entirely on the official version of the State Police, while investigations into the violence on the ground and the suspected content on social networks are still ongoing.
The issue is expected to be measured not only by the number of arrests and prosecutions, but also by the evidence that will emerge for each episode, including the serious accusations of terrorist-incitement calls.