Opinion
The rule of law starts in the cell
The Ombudsman's preliminary report on people detained during the protests deserves a quick response, not silence.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 20, 2026, 15:55 · Updated 12:21 · 1 min read
The violence at the Tirana protests is reprehensible, and the police have a duty to protect people and buildings. For precisely that reason, how detainees are treated after every tense night matters as much as public order itself.
The Ombudsman's preliminary report finds 18 minors among some 50 people detained and overcrowding in the Security Block. Detainees claim they were asked to unlock their phones without a court order and allege violence. These claims must be verified, but they cannot be ignored.
Searching a phone is not a formality. It holds a person's conversations, photos and contacts. If that search is carried out without a court ruling, the problem is not only a legal one: it damages trust in the institution that is supposed to enforce the law.
Prosecutors have also registered criminal complaints over actions by police officers during the protests. That shows the mechanisms exist. Now they need to work quickly and transparently, with results the public can see.
The Ombudsman has asked the Interior Ministry to urgently reduce the number of people held in the Security Block. Its response, and how quickly it comes, will show whether the state sees the protection of rights as part of order or as an obstacle to it.
