Albania’s Socialist-led Parliament has adopted a resolution urging the country’s Special Prosecutor’s Office against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) to review its use of pretrial detention and increase the use of alternative measures in line with European human rights standards.

The resolution, approved on July 23 and signed by Parliament Speaker Niko Peleshi, gives SPAK until August 23 to prepare an action plan addressing 32 recommendations for 2026.

Among the recommendations, Parliament calls for an analysis every four months of the length of pretrial detention compared with final sentences, with the aim of identifying cases where detention approaches or substantially covers the eventual prison term.

The resolution also calls for reducing the backlog of cases, improving the quality of files sent to trial and strengthening parallel financial and asset investigations.

A particular focus is placed on asset confiscation in high-level corruption cases, with Parliament urging SPAK to ensure criminal proceedings target not only individual responsibility but also the illicit financial gains generated by corruption.

The recommendations also call for stronger investigations into organized crime, money laundering and drug trafficking, as well as more cases resulting in final court convictions.

Parliament further urges faster recruitment of financial investigators, National Bureau of Investigation (BKH) personnel and judicial police officers, alongside deeper international cooperation and continued development of an electronic case-management system designed to improve transparency and real-time statistical reporting.

The resolution also asks SPAK to examine, in line with European Union recommendations, whether rules governing the appointment of the Director of the National Bureau of Investigation should be revised to ensure an open, competitive and timely process.