Erion Veliaj has published a text that he presents as a diary of his meeting in prison with Justice Minister Toni Gogu, turning the episode into an open political clash with harsh tones toward the government and the Socialist Party. In the version made public by the mayor of Tirana himself, he speaks of pressure, isolation, and attempts to force him to give up control over the Municipality of Tirana.
Strong accusations from prison against the government and the prime minister
In the published text, Veliaj uses direct and defiant language, claiming that he is facing blackmail and political pressure. He writes that he will not bend “even 100 years in Spaç” and suggests that behind his situation lies political interference from the highest levels of power.
Among his strongest phrases, he also raises suspicions about interference in his dealings with prosecutors and about the way prison isolation is being used, in his view. These are claims made by Veliaj himself, and the text is not accompanied by new public evidence.
Clash over the Municipality of Tirana
A large part of the diary focuses on Veliaj’s refusal to delegate the Municipality of Tirana again. He says he received the mandate from the vote and that he will not hand over leadership again, recalling that the delegation, according to him, had previously been made for 18 months.
Veliaj claims that during his absence, important processes at the municipality have been blocked, mentioning soft loans, schools, and other projects. He also complains about waste management and about the way, according to him, Socialist figures have been removed to be replaced by other names.
Messages for the Socialist Party: attack on appointments and political “slag”
In the same text, Veliaj also shifts his criticism inside the Socialist Party. He says the party is not strengthened through opportunistic arrivals and uses harsh language toward figures who, according to him, are thrown into the party by opponents.
He mentions several names that he considers part of the Socialist camp and defends the idea of promoting young people within the party. In this section, his message appears directed not only at the government, but also at the way the political balance in Tirana and within the Socialist Party is being managed.
Claims of isolation and controlled communication
Veliaj also writes that he was left without advisers and without regular political contacts for months. He raises direct questions about the way cells, meetings, and hospital visits are controlled, according to his version.
At the end of the account, he says the meeting with the minister ended around midnight, that he received two books, and that he returned to his cell on crutches. The close of the message keeps the same rejecting tone: he says he does not accept “illegal affairs,” without giving further concrete explanations for this claim.
The publication of this diary shifts the debate from a criminal and institutional matter into an open political clash, in which Veliaj’s version raises more questions than it provides answers for the public.
So far, there has been no detailed public reaction from the parties mentioned in Veliaj’s text regarding the claims made by him.