Man on trial in Albania kills judge, injures two others in shooting

Astrit Kalaja, an appeals tribunal judge, died connected his mode to infirmary aft the courtroom onslaught connected Monday.

A antheral connected proceedings successful the Albanian capital, Tirana, has allegedly changeable and killed the presiding judge.

Appeals tribunal justice Astrit Kalaja died connected Monday arsenic helium was being transported to the hospital, Albanian constabulary said.

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The 30-year-old fishy fled the country but was aboriginal detained, and the revolver helium is believed to person utilized was besides found, constabulary added.

The gunman besides changeable a begetter and lad who were enactment to the trial. They were some rushed to the hospital, wherever their injuries were deemed not to beryllium life-threatening.

The Albanian property reported that the tribunal lawsuit acrophobic a spot dispute.

Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama described Kalaja’s decease arsenic a “tragic event”, saying that it should punctual a “reflection” connected the courts’ interior information system.

In a connection posted connected X, Rama called for tougher sentences for gun-related crimes. The judge’s slayer should look “the astir utmost ineligible response”, helium wrote.

Meanwhile, President Bajram Begaj condemned the sidesplitting arsenic “a unspeakable onslaught against the full justness system”.

Between January and June this year, determination were 213 gun-related incidents successful Albania, according to information from the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.

Under Albanian law, amerciable weapon possession is punishable by up to 3 years successful jail.

Since sweeping judicial reforms backed by the European Union and the United States were launched successful Albania successful 2016, the state has seen a ample tribunal backlog build-up, with tens of thousands of cases delayed for years.