Albania’s Ombudsman has found violations of the right to privacy and medical confidentiality in the case of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj, who is currently being held in pre-trial detention in Durrës.

According to the published report, the presence of prison police officers during Veliaj’s medical examination outside prison facilities breached national legislation and Council of Europe standards. The Ombudsman stated that existing laws do not require constant police presence during external medical checks and warned that such practices undermine patient confidentiality and private life.

The institution stressed that medical examinations must be conducted in full privacy, with police presence allowed only in exceptional security-related cases and at the explicit request of medical staff. It cautioned that the current practice may amount to a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights and, in serious cases, could be considered degrading treatment.

As a result, the Ombudsman has called on the General Directorate of Prisons to immediately amend Order No. 651 to ensure respect for human dignity, privacy and medical confidentiality for detainees.