Erion Veliaj, who is being held in pretrial detention in Fier, has submitted an official request to take part in the meeting of the Socialist Party’s National Assembly on November 14. According to the document, he addressed the request simultaneously to the Socialist Party’s Secretary-General, Blendi Klosi, and the prosecutor handling the case at SPAK, seeking either physical participation or, if that is not allowed, a videoconference connection.
The request was sent from pretrial detention
In the document sent from IEVP Fier, Veliaj argues that the security measure of “arrest in prison” restricts his freedom of movement, but not automatically the political and statutory rights that, according to him, stem from the functions he holds in the Socialist Party.
He links his participation in the Assembly to his role as a member of the National Assembly, of the Socialist Party Presidency, and as political leader in Tirana, asking not to be excluded from a forum that makes political decisions within the party.
What exactly Veliaj is requesting
In the request, Veliaj asks to be officially informed of the time, place, agenda, and meeting documents for the November 14 session. He also asks that measures be taken for physical participation, if such a thing is authorized by the competent authorities.
As an alternative, he proposes participating through a live audiovisual connection from pretrial detention, with the possibility to follow the discussions, take the floor, make proposals, and take part in decision-making.
If that is not possible either, Veliaj asks that his written position be presented to the Assembly, but stresses that this should not be considered a full substitute for the right to participate.
Pressure for urgent review
The document also calls for coordination between the Socialist Party, SPAK, and penitentiary authorities to make participation possible. According to the argument presented by Veliaj, a videoconference would not affect the enforcement of the security measure, since it would not require his removal from the pretrial detention institution.
He asks that any refusal be based on a concrete legal basis and reasoned, insisting that the request be reviewed immediately because of the approaching date of the meeting.
A request with political weight, not only procedural
The move comes at a time when the issue does not remain simply technical or statutory, but directly affects how a senior political figure seeks to preserve an active role in party decision-making even from pretrial detention.
At this stage, there is no public position from the Socialist Party or from SPAK on Veliaj’s request and on how his participation in the November 14 Assembly will be handled.
In essence, Veliaj’s request aims to test the boundary between the security measure and the exercise of a political role within the party, an issue that now remains in the hands of Socialist Party structures and judicial authorities.
The response to this request is expected to carry weight not only for the specific case, but also for the standard institutions choose to apply in relation to the political rights of people in pretrial detention.