A boycott by lawyers at Albania’s Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO) entered a new phase on Monday, as attorneys began refusing to attend hearings concerning security measures.

The boycott had previously focused on trials on the merits. Starting today, however, lawyers are also extending their protest to hearings involving decisions on defendants’ security measures.

Lawyers are opposing a regulation adopted by GJKKO, arguing that it interferes with their professional duties and discriminates against them in the exercise of their profession.

They are calling for the regulation to be reviewed or repealed, while the ongoing boycott now covers both hearings on the merits and proceedings related to security measures.

The move marks a further escalation in the dispute between defense lawyers and Albania’s Special Court over the rules governing the conduct of legal representation in corruption and organized crime cases.