"Seconds later, three shots ring out in the courtroom, hitting the judge at the bench and sending people fleeing in panic. Astrit Kalaja, 62, later succumbed to his injuries. The ruling Kalaja was reading out concerned a property dispute dating back to 1992, a case that had moved through Albania's courts for more than three decades without final resolution. The man who pulled the trigger was 30-year-old Elvis Shkambi."
"In July 2016, Albania launched its most radical ever reform of its justice system when the 140 members of its parliament voted unanimously in favor of the constitutional amendments that would shape the justice reform. This rare consensus was strongly supported and welcomed by the European Union and the United States. Strict vetting process At the heart of the reform was the vetting process, which stipulated a comprehensive review of the assets, integrity and professional conduct of every judge and prosecutor in the country."
On October 6, 2025 at 3:40 p.m., a judge at the Court of Appeal in Tirana was shot while reading a verdict; Astrit Kalaja, 62, later died of his injuries. The verdict concerned a property dispute dating to 1992 that had remained unresolved for more than three decades. The shooter, 30-year-old Elvis Shkambi, fired after the ruling against his family and later called the decision “scandalous,” citing years of perceived injustice over family property. The killing occurred nearly ten years after Albania launched a sweeping 2016 judicial reform centered on a vetting process to review the assets, integrity and professional conduct of every judge and prosecutor, aimed at removing corruption and restoring public trust.
Read at www.dw.com
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