The investigation into SHISH chief Vlora Hyseni is not raising only criminal-law questions. At the center of the debate is also the way an official who came from intelligence structures in Kosovo moved within a short time from adviser to the prime minister to the head of Albania’s intelligence service, while now facing accusations that, according to the official version, are linked to assisting the perpetrator of a crime and disclosing secret acts or data.
From intelligence in Kosovo to the leadership of SHISH
Vlora Hyseni had previously held the post of deputy director of the AKI in Kosovo. In June 2021 she left the position, while the reason for her departure was not made public.
Two months later, she took up a role in Albania as an adviser on security issues to Prime Minister Edi Rama. In 2023 she was proposed to lead SHISH and was later appointed by presidential decree.
It is precisely this rapid path to one of the state’s most sensitive posts that is now returning to the center of public and institutional attention.
SPAK investigation and house arrest in absentia
According to the charges brought by SPAK, Hyseni is under investigation in matters related to assisting the perpetrator of a crime and disclosing secret acts or data. These are prosecution claims and not proven guilt established by a final court decision.
On September 22, a house arrest measure was ordered against her and she was suspended from duty. At that moment she was not in Albania, but in Baku, where she was taking part in an international forum on the fight against terrorism.
The measure was not executed immediately because she was outside the country. She later returned and surrendered to Albanian authorities at the Kosovo-Albania border.
The question that goes beyond the criminal case
The case is not limited only to the investigation of a senior official. On the institutional level, the strongest question is how the security filters functioned and who took responsibility for ensuring that the appointment to the head of SHISH passed every necessary verification.
When it comes to leading an intelligence service, the debate does not end with a CV or political decision-making. Also in focus are the security clearance, control procedures and the credibility of the entire institutional chain that produces such a decision.
If these procedures functioned properly, then the institutions should clarify that publicly. If not, the issue weighs not only on the person under investigation, but also on those who promoted and approved her for such a sensitive duty.
Consequences for SHISH and relations with partners
Another point of debate is linked to the effect such an investigation could have on SHISH’s relations with partner services, especially when it comes to an institution that operates on the basis of trust and the exchange of sensitive information.
Security expert Xhavit Shala has raised concern that such a case could have reputational and institutional impact, arguing that a different handling of the situation could have avoided part of the cost to the institution.
This makes the issue broader than an individual criminal file: it affects the way the state manages a crisis in one of the most delicate links of national security.
In the end, two separate questions remain, but they are closely linked to each other. The first is legal: what responsibility Vlora Hyseni actually bears and what will be proven in court.
The second is political and institutional: how this appointment was made possible and who bears responsibility for the security verifications for such a high-level post. This is precisely where the problem begins, one that cannot be resolved only with a security measure or a dismissal decree.