Calls for violence during protests: Anti-terror police arrest 33-year-old over bomb threat, 17 others referred to prosecutors

The Anti-Terrorism Directorate in Tirana said on Wednesday it had arrested one person and referred 17 others to prosecutors on suspicion of calling for and inciting unlawful acts linked to the violent protests of the past two weeks, ATSH (the Albanian Telegraphic Agency) reported.

The arrest

The arrested man is a 33-year-old Tirana resident suspected of spreading false information that causes panic. According to police, he sent a threatening message to the Facebook account of a private entity claiming bombs had been placed in three buildings.

Those referred without arrest

A 34-year-old is suspected of calling for violence on Instagram and of opening a GoFundMe campaign claiming his life was in danger; police seized a press card he allegedly used to evade restrictions. A 51-year-old from Shëngjin is accused of offering money in videos for violence against elected officials and members of the Council of Ministers. A 37-year-old is suspected of repeatedly posting personal data, photos and videos of police officers with insulting comments, endangering their safety. A 20-year-old faces charges of organizing and taking part in unlawful assemblies after allegedly hanging a banner with a Nazi symbol on the facade of the Polytechnic University during the protest.

The list also includes a 56-year-old, a 50-year-old and 11 people aged roughly 18 to 46, suspected of public calls for violence through posts, messages or comments on social media. Seven online accounts and one Instagram account were also referred, and police are trying to identify their administrators. The materials were sent to the relevant prosecutors.