Crime & Courts
Veliaj refuses food in Fier prison; prisons service says transfer was legal and the order is a state secret
The Tirana mayor, held in pretrial detention, protested a day after being moved from Durrës, according to Top Channel. The prisons service says 24 transfers took place between Oct. 16 and 27, all within the law.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 29, 2026, 15:35 · Updated 18:44 · 2 min read
In brief
- According to Top Channel, Erion Veliaj has refused food in protest at his transfer from Durrës prison to the one in Fier.
- The General Directorate of Prisons says the order was issued under standard procedures, is classified as a state secret, and prosecutors were notified.
- Veliaj was placed in the observation section on Oct. 28, and on Thursday staff at the Fier prison heard his claims.
Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, who is in pretrial detention, has refused food in Fier prison, Top Channel reports. According to journalist Anila Hoxha, this is a form of protest against his transfer from Durrës prison, which those close to him describe as undocumented. On Thursday morning Veliaj was visited by his mother, carrying a bag of food, and a few hours later by his wife, Ajola Xoxa, together with their child.
The prisons' response
The General Directorate of Prisons said the transfer is part of recent measures for the security and functioning of the institutions that enforce criminal sentences. According to the directorate, after arriving, the detainee with the initials E.V. went through standard admission procedures and on Oct. 28 was placed in the observation section. On Oct. 29, staff at the Fier facility met him, heard his claims and explained his rights and obligations, while the admission commission went ahead with his full placement.
The directorate says the transfer order is classified as a “state secret,” so access to it is governed by the law on classified information. Transfer orders, it says, are issued by the director general within his administrative discretion, based on the documentation gathered, and prosecutors were notified as the law requires.
24 transfers in 12 days
The institution said 24 transfers were carried out between Oct. 16 and 27, all within the legal framework, and that it will continue measures to prevent incidents while respecting the rights and dignity of detainees. Veliaj's transfer has also prompted reactions within the Socialist Party (PS) and in the Tirana Municipal Council, where councilors from the majority and the opposition called for transparency.
