Press Release

Considering the media's interest, Tirana Prosecution Office at First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction is actively undertaking investigative measures related to criminal case No. 285 of the year 2011 (reopened). The proceedings pertain to the incident that occurred on January 21, 2011, resulting in the tragic loss of lives for citizens Ziver Veizi, Faik Myrtaj, Hekuran Deda, and Aleks Nika.

On April 18, 2012, it was decided on the separation from the criminal proceedings and the sending for trial of the case numbered 285/21, dated 2012, to Tirana District Court regarding the defendant N. P., accused of the criminal offense " Murder committed under other qualifying circumstances " in a dangerous way regarding the life of many persons, as provided for in Article 79, letter "ë" of the Criminal Code, causing the loss of citizen Faik Myrtaj's life, as well as regarding the defendant A. Ll., accused of the criminal offence “Murder committed under other qualifying circumstances," against two or more persons as provided for in Article 79, letter "dh" of the Criminal Code, causing the deaths of citizens Hekuran Deda and Ziver Veizaj, alongside injuries sustained by citizens F. M.j, E. B., and S. G.

Regarding the judgement of this case, the materials pertaining to the accused M. K, who is charged with the criminal offense of " Obstruction of justice," as provided for in Article 301 of the Criminal Code have also been submitted.

In the course of the extensive investigations conducted by the judicial police, all necessary investigative measures were undertaken. However, despite these efforts, it was impossible to identify the individuals responsible for the tragic deaths of Aleks Nika and Hekuran Deda, as well as the injuries sustained by F. M., S. G., E. B., A. D., I. Q., and I. P. Under the circumstances of all conceivable investigative steps exhausted and the perpetrator of the criminal act remaining unidentified, on February 28, 2020, the case prosecutors decided to suspend further inquiries and subsequently, case files were transferred for ongoing pursuit by the Local Police Directorate in Tirana.

As of April 2, 2021, a decision has been reached to recommence the suspended investigations and conduct investigative procedures to uncover the perpetrator behind the homicide of citizen Aleks Nika and Hekuran Deda. Concerning the latter, the District Court of Tirana, in its verdict no. 100 dated February 7, 2013, declared the accused A. Ll. innocent of the criminal charge of "Intentional Homicide against two or more persons," leading directly to the death of Hekuran Deda.

The officers of the Homicide Section at the Local Police Directorate in Tirana were assigned  for the investigative procedures regarding this criminal case. Apart from the duties assigned by the investigating prosecutors, these officers also conducted investigations delegated by the prosecutor aiming at the verification of the facts disclosed by citizen Artan Hoxha on the "Zona Zero" program on January 20, 2023, broadcasted on "Top Channel" television.

The request for the acquisition of material evidence, specifically an audio cassette, in accordance with legal procedural requirements, has been directed towards Artan Hoxha, a journalist by profession, and the family members of the victim Aleks Nika. According to Artan Hoxha, these individuals possess the aforementioned audio material. However, their statements have made it clear that they do not intend to surrender this material for the ongoing investigation conducted by the Prosecution Office at Tirana First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction. Instead, they express the intention to submit it to the Special Anti-Corruption Structure once the investigation proceeds under their purview.

In the context of the prosecutor's ongoing investigations, a decision has been made to evaluate and analyze the seized evidence gathered during the examination of the crime scene and the examination of the victim by reaching out relevant foreign authorities, of which due to the sensitive and nature of the case confidentiality is requested.

With a commitment to upholding the safeguards of an ongoing investigation, it is important to note that the proceedings will take into account the relevant acts of the European Court of Human Rights related to this criminal procedure.