Paradox/ Meta's action movie-like arrest versus Veliaj's ceremony-like arrest!

In Albanian politics, justice is often called into question. The case of the arrests of Ilir Meta and Erion Veliaj is a clear example of this.

Two important political figures, who have dominated the public scene for years, found themselves in jail, but with completely different scenarios.

Meta's Arrest: Spectacle and Symbolism

When Ilir Meta was arrested, the scene was like an action movie. A sensational operation, with special forces, cameras and a strong statement from the Prosecutor's Office. The charges were serious: corruption, money laundering and abuse of power.

Arresting the former president of the Republic in broad daylight, in the middle of the Tirana-Durres highway, as if he were a criminal who had just committed a murder, is scandalous.

In his first words after his arrest, Meta declared that he was a victim of a distorted justice system and a system that favors the powerful.

Everything happened quickly and sensationally, creating a dramatic atmosphere in Albanian politics.

Veliaj's Arrest: Silence and Suspicion

On the other hand, when the moment of Erion Veliaj's arrest came, the scenario was completely different.

Tirana Police has ensured that Mayor Erion Veliaj has a "dignified entrance" to the Police Directorate.

Following the Special Court's decision to leave him in "prison custody", authorities have taken special measures to minimize Veliaj's exposure to the public, lowering the stand near the entrance to prevent cameras from recording the moment of the escort.

While for Meta the stage was built with all the elements of a political show, for Veliaj everything happened behind the scenes, with careful communication and without much media noise.

In a system where justice should be equal for all, the arrest of one was turned into a spectacle, while the other was treated with suspicious calm.

Is justice selective?

The case of Meta and Veliaj raises a fundamental question: Does justice work the same for everyone, or does it depend on the person and the political context? If one well-known politician is arrested with fanfare and another with calm, this leaves room for doubts about the independence of justice institutions.

The paradox of the two arrests shows that in Albania, even when justice acts, it does not act equally for everyone. And this is a great irony for a system that claims to be fair and independent. / By Neta Fero