Berisha indicted shortly before the elections, AP: It is described as political pressure ordered by Rama

Former Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said on Wednesday that he was formally charged with corruption in connection with a property deal, describing the move as politically motivated.

In October, prosecutors publicly put him under investigation for allegedly abusing his position to help his son-in-law, Jamarber Malltezi, privatize public land to build 17 apartment buildings in Tirana.

Berisha, 79, who heads the opposition Democratic Party, has been under house arrest since December and banned from traveling abroad.

On Wednesday, Berisha went to the special prosecutor's office, known as the Special Structure Against Organized Crime, where he was told the charges against him for about half an hour. He said he was summoned as a defendant and handed a file of evidence, about 500 pages, which he called "lies".

Malltezi, who is also involved in politics, was also called to be informed that he has been officially accused of corruption.

In December, Parliament removed Berisha's legal immunity.

The former prime minister has criticized the investigation and his arrest as political repression ordered by Prime Minister Edi Rama, head of the left-wing Socialist Party in power.

"Nothing has changed. It is a continuation of a political revenge," Berisha told reporters outside the prosecutor's office, while rejecting all allegations of corruption.

Dozens of supporters had gathered there, holding banners in support of Berisha and criticizing the government.

Berisha served as prime minister of Albania from 2005-2013 and as president from 1992-1997. He was re-elected deputy of the Democratic Party in the parliamentary elections of 2021.

Albania holds parliamentary elections next year. If Berisha has been convicted or is still awaiting trial, he may not be allowed to run for office.

The United States government in May 2021 and the United Kingdom in July 2022 banned Berisha and close family members from entering their countries due to his alleged involvement in corruption. AP