The prime minister's actions to protect his deputy from arrest suggest the potential end of an era for Albanians' hopes that those in power would finally be held accountable.
AI Brief
The Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime, known to Albanians as SPAK, has been the most trusted institution in the country for years.
Established in 2019, during Edi Rama's second Socialist Party government, and under the auspices of the international community, its sole purpose was to combat the pervasive corruption that plagued the highest levels of Albania's government.
Its mission, in simple terms, was to identify and prosecute the "big fish." And it succeeded, to a degree that most Albanians could not have imagined.
Politicians previously considered "untouchable," including former presidents and prime ministers, ministers and deputy prime ministers, key mayors and deputies of the ruling Socialist Party, were indicted and arrested. SPAK quickly became the most popular institution in Albania.