Imprisoned Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj has responded to Justice Minister Toni Gogu by publishing a handwritten letter on social media, revealing details of a meeting between the two and alleging that Gogu conveyed three conditions imposed by Prime Minister Edi Rama.
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| The political rift deepens between imprisoned Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj (left) and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (right) amid accusations and alleged prison transfer conditions. |
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| The handwritten letter published by Erion Veliaj detailing his meeting with Justice Minister Toni Gogu and the alleged conditions conveyed on behalf of Prime Minister Edi Rama. |
"I want to assure the Socialists that I am not throwing stones at my own Socialist home, but neither will I allow anyone to throw stones at my dignity.
I may indeed have less freedom than the Prime Minister, but I have many times more dignity than he does.
I reject the Bolshevik hallucinations that I organized or financed the protests. The entire truth about the meeting with Justice Minister Toni Gogu is contained in this letter, written in my own hand.
I challenge the country's Prime Minister to produce even a single piece of evidence for the allegations concerning the protests.
Otherwise, leave!"
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| The second page of Erion Veliaj’s handwritten letter, listing the three demands allegedly conveyed by Justice Minister Toni Gogu on behalf of Prime Minister Edi Rama. |
Friday, 10:30 p.m.
Toni Gogu comes to a meeting after 20 months.
TG: R has arranged the transfer, with instructions that this man from the dormitory must serve proper prison time. He has personally dealt with the hospital permits, visiting permissions, and even access to friends and family.
R bypassed TG and personally ordered the transfer and isolation, with these three demands:
- Admit your involvement with the Flamingos – the Students. Otherwise, additional charges of "disruption of the constitutional order" will be brought against you from prison, and you will face 100 years in prison in facilities 313 and 302.
- Give up Tirana Municipality and delegate it to Arbër Hajdari.
- Stop consulting Plarent Ndreca.
The letter is presented by Veliaj as an account of the conversation with the Justice Minister and the alleged conditions communicated on behalf of the Prime Minister.
Veliaj's statements supporting student protests in Serbia
The political tensions between imprisoned Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj and Prime Minister Edi Rama have also drawn attention following Veliaj's public statements in support of the student protests in Serbia.
Some observers have linked the tensions to Veliaj's remarks praising the Serbian student movement, although the precise connection between these developments has not been established.
In a message published earlier, Veliaj congratulated Serbian students for what he described as the downfall of the country's "Machiavellian and populist" leader, in remarks that can also be interpreted as an indirect criticism of Rama.
"Congratulations to the students for bringing down the Machiavellian and populist leader of Belgrade!
Student movements and protests are not the 'end of the world', but the end of 'a world'. The sooner we understand this as citizens and policymakers, the better we will be able to respond to the needs and expectations of this generation.
Warm congratulations also to our Albanians in Serbia, who, according to current projections, are increasing their representation from one to two parliamentary seats. A stronger voice for the rights of Albanians in Serbia!" Veliaj wrote.
What is a Machiavellian politician?
A Machiavellian politician is a political figure who considers acquiring, maintaining and strengthening power to be the primary objective, using strategies such as manipulation, cunning, diplomacy and political compromise to achieve it.
The term originates from Italian philosopher and political thinker Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), author of the famous political work The Prince (Il Principe).
Machiavelli's political ideas are widely associated with pragmatism, political strategy and the pursuit of power, often placing political objectives above conventional moral considerations.