Ilir Meta, leader of the Freedom Party, has spoken out from prison regarding the latest developments in the legal proceedings against him, after officially being declared a defendant. Meta described this as merely a procedural step, not a substantial development in the case.

“It is simply a procedural development, nothing more,” Meta stated. “The charges against me were publicly and officially drafted by the ‘Renaissance’ Congress back when I was President of the Republic,” referring to what he calls a politically orchestrated process by Prime Minister Edi Rama.

He emphasized that the case will not stop at the national level and vowed to take the legal battle all the way to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Meta also stated that every day bringing him closer to trial is, in his view, a positive step — with the ultimate goal of “publicly dismantling Edi Rama’s fabricated indictment.”

Regarding the change of legal representation, Meta announced that his new lawyer will be Kujtim Cakrani. He thanked his former attorney, Genc Gjokutaj, for his work so far, but explained that due to Gjokutaj’s involvement in Sali Berisha’s legal case, it is necessary to have separate legal teams.

“As is known, there are two major political cases heading to trial: that of Mr. Berisha and my own. Both are based on charges formulated years ago by the ‘Renaissance’ Congress. It is simply not feasible for a single lawyer to handle both cases due to the heavy workload and the distinct nature of each,” Meta said.

He expressed confidence that Cakrani will represent him with full dedication and transparency before both the public and the justice system.

Meta concluded by saying that Albania is a state captured in every cell, which is why such legal confrontations require serious preparation and committed defense. /noa.al