Albania”s Interior Minister has faced calls to resign after police fatally shot a young man during the country’s overnight curfew on Tuesday.
25-year-old Klodian Rasha was shot dead near his home in Tirana after not responding to police calls to stop.
An officer, who was later arrested, has reportedly stated that he opened fire because he believed the man had a weapon in his hands.
Klodian Rasha’s sister, Sibora, has told Euronews Albania that her brother did not have a weapon with him and that he had gone out to buy cigarettes.
“I want to find out why my brother was killed. Why did they kill him when he did not have a gun with him?” Sibora Rasha said.
Interior Minister Sander Lleshaj said police were investigating how the incident occurred and has expressed his “deepest condolences for this tragic loss”.
“I express my full confidence that responsible legal bodies will quickly, accurately and directly finalise investigations into the murder of Klodian Rasha,” Lleshaj said on Facebook.
Albanian state police have also described the incident as “tragic” and say they are also “intensively analysing” what caused the shooting.
“We express our sincere condolences to family, friends, relatives, and citizens affected by this act,” the authority said in a statement on Facebook.
“The State Police guarantees the citizens that it remains committed and engaged in its duty to increase public safety, to protect the life and rights of every citizen.”
Albania’s President, Ilir Meta, added that the incident had “deeply shaken” everyone in the country, and blamed officials for increasing police violence.
“In the last two years … acts of extreme and inappropriate violence by certain State Police have escalated,” Meta said in a Facebook post.
“This is the direct responsibility of senior officials and State Police leaders, as well as the Minister of Interior, who have not so far held clear public positions for zero tolerance for such acts.”
“I urge law enforcement agencies and other state authorities to respond immediately to the good need for justice society through a quick, thorough, independent, objective, and transparent investigation into the serious incident of Klodian Rasha’s murder.”
Hundreds of protestors gathered at the interior ministry building on Wednesday, with some throwing objects at police officers.
Euronews Albania has reported that at least one police officer, a protester, and a journalist were injured in sporadic clashes while people tried to enter the ministry.
Demonstrators also gathered along the street of the prime minister’s office, defying COVID-19 restrictions which limit public gatherings to ten people.
Albanian authorities have imposed several lockdown measures including mandatory facemasks and an overnight curfew to try to prevent a surge of new cases.
Protesters said the rally was not political, although some opposition supporters were seen among the crowds.
Albania is due to hold parliamentary elections in April next year.
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