OSCE Presence enhances prosecutors’ capacities to investigate electoral crimes ahead of parliamentary elections in Albania

On 16 April 2025, in the lead-up to Albania’s upcoming parliamentary elections due on 11 May, the OSCE Presence, in close co-operation with the General Prosecution Office, the Special Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) and the EU4Justice project, organized a technical workshop focused on strengthening the investigation and prosecution of electoral crimes.

The workshop brought together prosecutors from SPAK and the General Jurisdiction Prosecutor’s Offices to discuss best practices and strengthen institutional co-ordination in addressing electoral offences. The event featured two international practitioners from Italy specialized in electoral crimes. Participants explored investigative protocols related to electoral corruption and illicit agreements between criminal organizations and political actors. Discussions also focused on the use of evidence in court proceedings, including testimony from justice collaborators, qualified witnesses and electronic interceptions.

Addressing the event, OSCE Presence’s representatives Mauro Puzzo and Blerim Vela stressed the importance of strengthening prosecutorial responses and ensuring accountability for electoral offences as a foundation for public trust in democratic processes. They emphasized the need for a timely and transparent response to recurring electoral malpractices such as vote-buying, pressure on voters and misuse of administrative resources, which continue to be noted with concern in OSCE/ODIHR election observation reports.

This workshop is part of the Presence’s broader efforts to assist Albania’s institutional actors in improving the quality of investigations and prosecutions, particularly in complex and high-impact areas such as electoral crimes. Recently, the Presence facilitated capacity building for the State Police, donated IT equipment to SPAK to support mobile investigation teams and convened a roundtable where civil society organizations discussed their findings and recommendations in tackling electoral crimes with the relevant state institutions.