In the early morning hours of July 15, a convoy of armored vehicles was positioned at the entrance to the high-security prison in Reç, Shkodra.

Shortly after 9:00 a.m., the iron railings opened and a man in his 40s emerged, wearing a black short-sleeved shirt, black pants, and carrying a small bag. He immediately got into one of the armored vehicles and drove away, regaining his freedom.

It was Sokol Sanxhaktari, a well-known name in Albanian justice, convicted of the murder of Florian Lamçe.

His name was ranked 123rd on the list prepared by the General Directorate of Prisons, among the convicts who benefited from the amnesty recently approved by the Albanian Parliament.

The law provides for the release of men convicted by final judgment who have up to three years left in prison to serve.

Excluded from the benefit are persons convicted of a number of serious criminal offenses, including organized crime, terrorism, corruption, matters under the jurisdiction of the Criminal Justice System, as well as persons who have evaded justice or have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

In the case of Sanxhatari, prison authorities assessed that he met the legal criteria for benefit, as the remaining part of the sentence fell within the limits set by the amnesty.

The release through amnesty ended a series of legal efforts that Sanxhatari had undertaken in recent months to avoid serving the remainder of his sentence in prison.

On November 25, 2025, he filed a request with the Shkodra Court to terminate his prison sentence and replace it with the alternative measure of "Staying at home".

The request was reviewed by Judge Eni Naqellari and aimed to replace the remaining part of the sentence given by decision no. 175, dated March 16, 2022, of the Elbasan Court, subsequently amended by the Durrës Court of Appeal.

In his argument, Sanxhatari claimed that he had served more than three-quarters of his 15-year sentence and that he met the conditions to serve the remainder in the apartment.

A few months earlier, in March 2025, the Shkodra Court had accepted another request, reducing his sentence by 90 days in prison. While another request for conditional release was rejected. At the time when the Parliament approved the criminal amnesty, the process for replacing the sentence with “stay at home” was still ongoing in court, but became unnecessary after Sanxhaktar received a full release.

Sokol Sanxhaktari was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the murder of his friend, Florian Lamçe, also known by the nickname "Flor Qorri" or "Shkodrani".

According to the investigation, Sanxhaktari and Adriano Hajdari had consumed alcohol together with Florian Lamçe. After a conflict between them, the two perpetrators hit the victim with bottles and hard objects, injuries that proved fatal for the 40-year-old.

Florian Lamçe was no stranger to the authorities. He had previously been convicted of obstruction of justice and was under investigation for assault. He was also the brother of Olti Lamçe, who was sentenced to 24 years in prison for the murder of businessman Almir Cani in 2012.

The murder of Florian Lamçe was not Sokol Sanxhatari's first contact with the justice system. In 2008, he was fined for resisting law enforcement. In 2010, he was sentenced to three years in prison for wounding and illegal possession of a weapon.

In 2011, he was declared wanted as a suspect for the injury of Miklajd Llatja and Erion Kardhoshi in Elbasan. The two young men later withdrew the charges against him, while the investigation into the injury was closed.

One of the most discussed episodes is related to the police attempt to arrest him in March 2011.

The police organized an operation near the "Shtëpia e Artit Sejko" bar in Elbasan, where Sanxhaktari was in the company of Marjus Lulaj, known as Suel Çela, and Anri Kurti.

According to the file, as soon as the officers approached to escort him, the situation degenerated into a physical clash between the police and the people accompanying the Sanxhatari. In the chaos that ensued, he managed to escape and remained on the run for about six months.

When the case ended up in court, the charges of resisting police were dismissed. The court reasoned that the officers had not worn the official uniform of the State Police and that Sanxhatari could not have identified with certainty that the people who had approached him were police officers. The decision also noted that one of the sweatshirts with the inscription “Police” was not official equipment, but had been purchased privately by the officer.

In the end, he was sentenced to only six months in prison for illegal possession of weapons, a period that coincided with the time spent on the run.

Sokol Sanxhaktari has been known for years due to his family ties to the former mayor of Elbasan, Qazim Sejdini, as he is his son-in-law.

This fact has caused the name of Sanxatari to often be at the center of public debate whenever he has been confronted by the justice system./ Shteg.org