One day after his transfer to Fier prison, Erion Veliaj continues to be held in conditions that his lawyer describes as degrading and inappropriate. The claims once again raise questions about treatment standards in the prison system and the lack of transparency from institutions over a decision that has sparked public debate.
Lawyer: a room with more light, but the problems remain
According to lawyer Ndreca, Veliaj is emotionally calmer after meeting family members and his wife. He said that during the day he was moved to a room with more natural light, but, according to him, the other conditions remain the same.
Ndreca claims that Veliaj continues to be held in the institution’s most difficult sector and that the cell does not meet basic conditions. According to him, there is still no place to put clothes, and there is also no water in the cell.
Questions over 32 hours of silence from the Prison Directorate
At the center of the defense’s reaction is also the way information about the transfer was handled. According to Ndreca, the General Directorate of Prisons took 32 hours to issue an official notification, which he presented as an unjustified and closed approach.
The lawyer also disputes the authorities’ reference to classifying the case as “secret,” raising doubts over whether the proper legal procedure was followed. According to him, the institution should present the relevant act and decision that limit the right to appeal and the party’s access to information.
Request for documents and legal answers
Veliaj’s defense says it will formally request the documentation on the transfer and the classification of the decision. According to the lawyer, so far there has not been a full and legally grounded response from the Prison Directorate on how it acted.
He argues that when a decision affects an individual’s rights, the institution has the minimum obligation to make transparent the administrative act that produced it. In this case, according to him, the difficulties affect not only Veliaj, but also his lawyer and family members.
Pressure also on Minister Gogu
Ndreca said the lack of an official reaction from Minister Gogu makes the situation even more serious. He pointed out that the People’s Advocate reacted earlier, while the responsible minister, according to this account, has still not given a public position.
The lawyer’s statement adds political and institutional pressure on the prison administration, at a time when public opinion is seeking greater clarity not only about detention conditions, but also about how sensitive decisions are made and concealed within the penitentiary system.
So far, the claims about conditions in Fier prison and the lack of water in the cell have been made public by Veliaj’s defense. The responsible institutions have not yet provided a full clarification about the specific detention conditions and the legal basis for classifying the transfer.
The issue highlights a broader problem: when the prison administration chooses to speak late and only partially, suspicions of arbitrariness only increase.