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The European Court of Human Rights has ruled in favor of former prosecutor Ferdinand Elezi, finding that his dismissal from the transitional review process did not respect the standards of proportionality required by the European Convention on Human Rights.
In the decision published on June 23, 2026, the court analyzed the documentation and arguments presented by the parties, before concluding that Elezit's removal from the justice system did not constitute a necessary measure in a democratic society.
According to Strasbourg's reasoning, the Albanian authorities failed to prove that the dismissal measure was proportionate to the issues identified during the vetting process. The court noted that Elezi had passed the background check and professional assessment, while the issues identified related to serious methodological problems in the analysis of income.
In addition to finding a violation, the European Court ordered the Albanian state to pay compensation for the moral damage caused to the former prosecutor, as well as to cover the legal costs of the process.
The decision also opens the door to reopening the proceedings related to Elezit's case. In practice, this paves the way for a re-examination of his case in accordance with the standards set by Strasbourg and could affect the prospects of his return to the justice system.
After nearly six years of legal battle, Elezi secured a victory at Europe's highest human rights court. The decision also brings into focus the debate over the proportionality of some decisions taken during the re-evaluation process of judges and prosecutors in Albania.
Ferdinand Elezit's career
Ferdinand Elezi was born on November 12, 1968 in Peqin. He completed his university education at the Faculty of Law of the University of Tirana, where he later pursued his Master of Science and PhD studies.
He began his career in the justice system in 1997, as a Judicial Police Officer in the Durrës Prosecution Office. Two years later, he took over the leadership of the Kavaja Prosecution Office, a position he held until 2003.
He then headed the Durrës Prosecution Office, while during the years 2005-2006 he served as the head of the Prosecution Office at the Tirana Court of Appeal. From July 2006 until the start of the vetting process, he exercised the function of head and prosecutor at the Prosecution Office at the Durrës Court of Appeal.
During his professional activity, Elezi has received maximum ratings in periodic evaluation processes. He has also developed academic activities for more than a decade as a lecturer at the Faculty of Law in Tirana and holds the rank of associate professor, as well as the title of Doctor of Sciences.
On April 9, 2019, the Independent Qualification Commission decided to dismiss him from office. The Special Appeals Chamber upheld this decision on September 30, 2020.
Now, with the decision of the European Court of Human Rights, the dismissal measure has been assessed as disproportionate, vindicating the former prosecutor in one of the most significant Strasbourg decisions related to the Albanian vetting process.
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