The Durrës Court has rejected a request made by Lulzim Berisha to reduce his sentence by 1 year and 5 months in prison, as a result of claims about “Benefiting from the Amnesty” of 2024.
The decision was made on May 5, 2026 by Judge Orgent Nezaj, who since January 2026 had been considering a request from Lulzim Berisha, sentenced to 25 years in prison, for the reduction of his sentence by 1 year and 5 months in prison, as a result of benefiting from the 2024 amnesty.
Journalist Elton Qyno has learned that at the same time, in the object of the request, Lulzim Berisha has also requested recognition of the days spent in detention in Spain, from the day of his arrest in this country, December 14, 2023, to the day of his extradition to Albania, March 18, 2025.
But in the 5th session, scheduled to review the request filed by Lulzim Berisha, the latter, as well as his defense lawyer, did not appear in court.
Berisha’s failure to appear in court on May 5th coincides with 4 days after a video was published in the media (on May 1st, 2026) where Lulzim Berisha, together with Fehmi Mziun, Islam Kasa alias Mitralozi and other convicted persons, were celebrating and making videos with phones in the Durrës detention facilities. After this video, Lulzim Berisha and his lawyer, Ilia Ilia, did not appear in court without giving reasons and justifications.
“…at the court session on May 5, 2026, the applicant Lulzim Berisha did not appear at the session, who had filed a statement of non-participation in the trial, in which he declared that he would be represented by the lawyer of his choice, Ilia Ilia, from which it resulted that the latter did not appear at the trial even though he was aware of it, without referring a justified reason to the court. The court would like to emphasize that the request with the above object is the exclusive right of the requesting party and constitutes a fundamental condition for the conduct of the trial by the court. If such a request does not exist, the court cannot be invested… When the applicant does not appear at the session without any reasonable cause, although he is regularly aware of its date and time, withdraws the request or changes its object, the court declares it inadmissible”, – states the decision of the Durrës Court.
Given this situation, Judge Orgent Nezaj has ruled that the request for “Benefit from Amnesty” and the recognition of the days spent in prison during the time of arrest in Spain are inadmissible.
Lulzim Berisha has been sentenced by the High Court to 25 years in prison for the charge of committing several murders in Durrës, committed as part of a structured criminal group operating in Durrës.
He has served most of this sentence. However, another criminal case against Berisha remains open at SPAK and is related to suspicions of his participation in the murder of Klodian Saliu in February 2005.
In this process, Lulzim Berisha is co-defendant with his old friend, Plaurent Dervishaj, Emiljano Shullazi, Luftar Rreçi, Indrit Taullai, Indrit Rusi and Viktor Imeri of Vlora. /Syri/ Elton Qyno