Taulant Balla, head of the Socialist Party’s parliamentary group, has criticized Tirana prosecutor Arbër Berexha following the release of protesters detained during demonstrations in the Albanian capital.

Speaking to reporters after a parliamentary session, Balla addressed the ongoing protests and police conduct toward demonstrators, while questioning the prosecutor’s political independence.

Balla alleged that Berexha had political ties to members of Albania’s opposition Democratic Party (PD), criticizing his decision to dismiss the case against the protesters.

“A Tirana prosecutor known for political ties with members of the Democratic Party, who dismisses a case with a stroke of the pen,” Balla said, adding that he hoped the High Justice Inspectorate was still operational.

The remarks came a day after the prosecutor ordered the release of protesters, citing the unlawfulness of their arrests.

The decision has added a new political dimension to the ongoing demonstrations, which have been marked by tensions between protesters and police and growing scrutiny of the authorities’ response.

Balla’s allegations regarding the prosecutor’s political connections have not been independently established in the information provided.