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"Motherfucker, test-tube politician, drinks raki in prison..."/ The court declared him innocent after Veliaj's lawsuit, Aulon Kalaja: Victory for freedom of speech
2026-05-05 22:29:12 / POLITIKË
After 17 court hearings, the leader of the DP in Kruja, Aulon Kalaja, has been declared innocent by the Tirana Court in the process brought against him by Mayor Erion Veliaj. The defamation lawsuit, which according to Kalaja began when Veliaj was in prison, was completely dismissed, ending a long legal battle.
On 'A Krasta Show', on SYRI TV, Kalaja described the case as a "strategic lawsuit against public participation", a tactic that he said is commonly used in Albania to intimidate and silence journalists. He expressed his belief that the lawsuit was of broad public interest, as it touched on the essence of freedom of speech and the right to criticize public officials.
Kalaja emphasized that throughout the process, he had not retracted any of his public statements, defending his right to express them.
Aulon Kalaja : In fact, you kept your word, you had given me your word that when the trial ended, no matter what, I would be your guest and I thank you for the invitation. I believe that this issue is of public interest, because it is not a case against me, in fact, but the strategic lawsuits that are usually filed against journalists in Albania and this was a SLAPP case, as it is otherwise known in legal language, of the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, where my basis was there in the defense that I made against the mayor of Tirana, Erjon Veliaj, who is still the mayor of Tirana, even though he is in prison. To tell the truth, a court session that started in October, the first session and ended today after 17 sessions, as you said. I believe that it went well, considering the way the sessions go in Albania, this trial could go on for another six years. But it must be said that my defense was of a high professional level. I presented about 56 pieces of evidence in court. In fact, it is my first time publicly expressing my defense of the direct accusations made against me by Mr. Erjon Veliaj's lawyers, because we need to understand something about him, that a large pool of lawyers, very large firms work. He has many cases and I don't know how he found time from prison to sue me for defamation, while he has other problems. I didn't, I didn't understand this moment, that I disturbed his peace from prison.
I am not the only one who has this case, but I certainly won a victory today for free speech. The trial was at a very delicate moment a few sessions ago, where the mayor of Tirana did not appear, but his lawyer did appear and at a certain point they said that the trial could be dismissed. Meanwhile, I was the person who did not accept that the trial be dismissed, but I wanted to be tried in order to prove my innocence. So, today I am innocent of all my statements that I made to you, or on other shows where they had gathered me and I would like to mention some of them, because this is actually the first time that I will say them. I was accused of insulting the mayor of Tirana, as if I had told him that he was a mother's son and had never fought a single battle in his life, I gave him the keys to the municipality, he is a politician of the test, he has abused civil society funds, another accusation was about introducing the raki street into prison, where he abused alcohol in prison and the most serious accusation in quotes, where he claimed, was the issue that I had mentioned in the media, an appearance of him with some famous photos, I believe that you are also witnesses, where the 'Mjaft' movement dresses in those provocative clothes, that is, where I had used the term sexual services, not sexual relations.
So, all these allusions or insults as they were for the accusing victim, in this case Erjon Veliaj, today received a response from the court. I want to tell you that the prosecution itself requested my acquittal and the court also ruled my acquittal. So, I have waged a very strong legal battle in court, not retracting any of my claims and the public statements I have made, even in your studio, where we have taken the videos point by point and analyzed them in court without your knowledge in this case.
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