The Interior Minister Taulant Balla declared in the Parliament the need for a new criminal policy, expressing his belief that the justice system should do it. Referring to the recent event in Fier where a police officer lost his life, the minister said that the punishment of justice for anyone who raises his hand against an officer in uniform, should have a severe punishment, as provided for in the Criminal Code.

The full speech of the Minister of the Interior Taulant Balla in the Assembly:

The good news is that all the members of the Assembly of Albania will vote for this agreement and this government has not only already established a record of similar agreements that it has brought for approval, but it is the only Government that, in fact, since 2013 with the Prime Minister Edi Rama, created this opportunity for all our fellow countrymen sisters and brothers who have been living for years anywhere in the world, to have the opportunity that for as many years that they have worked in these countries, to have the respective social benefits.

In these 32 years, Albanians have moved everywhere. In these 32 years, you have also governed for about 13 or so years. The fact that in the 13 years that you have governed the country, you did not manage to close even a single agreement, is the most meaningful expression that you can at least say congratulations today to our government and let’s join forces, to move forward with other governments where I hope that the next agreement will be the agreement with Greece.

During the 8 years in the opposition, there have been many meetings with our compatriots, not only in Athens, and naturally this approach of the SP, which will continue, is a bridge that goes from Athens on May 26 to Milan, on 2 June with our brothers and sisters in London and on June 16 to get together with some of you who have planned to follow our Red and Black national team in Dusseldorf.

Since an agreement with INTERPOL is coming later, I believe that, as you expressed in the Commission, it is a framework agreement where whenever summits or meetings are organized, conferences anywhere in the world, INTERPOL seeks the understanding of the host countries that for all the general police chiefs of the member countries should also be given by the parliaments of the respective countries, the immunity of police chiefs.

It has never happened in these 33 years that INTERPOL, the largest police organization against crime in the world, moved its conference to Albania from June 11 to 13. It is a confirmation of the further strengthening, but also of the new cooperation, this phase of information exchange, this new phase of cooperation in the fight against organized crime. So support this formal approval that should be given by the Assembly so that all the leaders of the partner police can benefit from this form of immunity that is given to them in all the places where such meetings are organized.

Dear colleagues, I would like to ask for some time, in the position of the Minister of the Interior, to refer to you a serious event that the Police forces have faced, but which I believe also has the solidarity of all fellow MPs on both wings regarding the murder of the State Police employee, Novruz Cenalia.

I want to share with you today and also welcome from each of you the support that our Police force need today. The importance of the duty carried by their uniforms should make today’s society reflect on the dimensioning of attitudes, but also of the public support that we must necessarily give to the Police as the sole guarantor of security on a daily basis.

Whoever does not obey the order, the call of a police employee, or even worse, whoever opposes him with force, dares to insult him, dares to aggress him, threatens him, hits him or even takes his life while he is in the exercise of his duty, it should be clear today that the tolerance of law enforcement and justice agencies should be zero.

If the citizen thinks he is right while the Police officer is wrong, the citizen has every right and even has all the mechanisms to appeal the decision of the Police through administrative and judicial channels. But any act of opposition cannot and should not be tolerated. The police officer’s call is a call to be followed. Whoever does not agree with the order or decision of the Police officer, should get a lawyer.

The Assembly has done its duty by approving the legal acts. We need to set a new standard regarding the authority of the State Police employee.

I call on justice to impartially investigate the latest event and give an exemplary sentence.

We need a new criminal policy, which takes place in this direction and I am confident that the justice system will do it. Disobeying the lawful orders of State Police employees is a criminal offence, which for those who do not know, if a police officer calls you or asks you to leave, to keep your distance, disobedience is punishable by up to 3 months imprisonment; if you oppose the police officer with the intention of preventing him from performing his duty according to the law, the penalty is up to 1 year in prison; and when this offense is committed in collaboration or by exercising physical violence you can be sentenced to up to 7 years in prison. We have written and approved them in the Criminal Code.

Dear brothers and sisters, members of the Parliament of Albania, the State Police has served and serves with devotion, regardless of the governments that are in power, the country and the citizens.

They have encountered, are encountering and will continue to encounter criminals and miscreants, and some of them have given their lives to protect the lives and safety of citizens. The police have shed blood in the name of their mission and oath. The blood of the State Police is the blood of the state itself.

Thank you