Disturbing footage from the protest in Tirana raises serious suspicions over the use of violence against citizens and the role of unidentified individuals during State Police interventions. At the center of the denunciation is lawyer and activist Altin Goxhaj, who is said to have been punched in the stomach by an unidentified individual in the presence of uniformed officers.
Another alleged episode of violence during protests in the capital raises questions about how the State Police exercise their powers and about officers’ responsibility to guarantee citizens’ safety.
According to the denunciation accompanying the footage, lawyer Altin Goxhaj was subjected to physical violence during a police intervention while he was being escorted to the police station.
What makes the incident especially troubling is the claim that the blows were not delivered by an identified uniformed officer, but by a person whose identity and status remain unclear.
The individual is suspected of having struck Goxhaj in the abdomen while State Police employees were present at the scene. It is also claimed that the lawyer was dragged during the escort.
Who is the person suspected of using violence?
The incident raises a fundamental question: Was the individual who struck the lawyer part of police structures, a civilian employee, or a person with no legal authority at all?
If it turns out that a person outside state structures used violence against a citizen in the presence of officers, then not only the responsibility of the perpetrator but also the actions or inaction of the police employees must be clarified.
Even more serious are the accusations that individuals with criminal ties may be used to intimidate protesters. These allegations, which have not been proven, require independent verification and the identification of the people involved.
Skënder Hitaj and Ervin Demo face demands for transparency
Responsibility for clarifying the incident cannot remain only with the officers present.
Skënder Hitaj and Ervin Demo must provide public explanations about the circumstances of the police intervention, the identity of the people who took part in it, and the measures taken to prevent the unlawful use of force.
Were all the people who intervened legally authorized? Is there an official report on the use of force? Have the people appearing in the footage been identified, and has any verification procedure been launched?
These questions require concrete answers, not institutional silence.
When police do not guarantee protection, who protects the citizen?
The State Police are obliged to preserve public order and security while respecting human dignity and constitutional rights.
Even when there are lawful grounds to escort a person, the use of force must be necessary, proportionate, and in accordance with the law.
No verbal argument with officers and no objection to police actions justifies punitive blows or allowing violence by third parties.
If the allegations of violence against Altin Goxhaj are confirmed, the incident will require the determination of individual and institutional responsibilities.
Identifying the suspected perpetrator, securing the full video recordings, and verification by the competent authorities are necessary steps.
A democratic state cannot allow the police uniform to be turned into a shield for unlawful violence, regardless of who carries it out.
The reported footage requires transparency, investigation, and accountability.
The question that remains is simple: who struck lawyer Altin Goxhaj, and what did the police officers do to stop it?