On 18 October, the X account of Sarrah Bellus, which has 62,600 followers, linked the fire to a claim that the Supreme Court had allowed Jared Kushner to purchase land in Albania against the wishes of its citizens.

Although the post did not identify any court ruling, it received around two million views and 24,000 reposts.

A day later, “The Patriotic Blonde” portrayed the confrontation as opposition to Kushner’s project and claimed that citizens were facing military forces backed by Israel.

The latter was a narrative that also spread widely through channels in Albania, targeting the Armed Forces, NATO, Israel and the United States to create the false impression that they were influencing the protests and that the military could also become involved.

On the other hand, the existence of opposition to Jared Kushner’s projects and the spontaneous youth protests does not prove that the fire in premises used for commercial activity, although located within the court building, was caused by a ruling in Kushner’s favour.

However, in the posts examined, which primarily targeted international audiences, this connection was presented as an explanation for the incident, without supporting documentation.

From a Fire in Part of the Building to Claims of Its Complete Destruction

On 18 October, the account “Blade of the Sun” claimed that the Supreme Court was burning in its entirety, that the Prime Minister was in hiding and that the country was in the hands of rebels. X displayed around 4.6 million views for this post.

It is an account with a large audience and political content critical of economic and political elites. Meanwhile, other accounts positioned as anti-Trump used the incident to target the US president’s family.

A similar description was used on 19 October by Dr Sam Youssef, who has 770,000 followers on X, portraying the institution as having been completely burnt down and linking the protests to corruption and Kushner’s interests.

Reports from the scene described a more limited incident. According to Albanian media, the fire started on business premises and spread to offices on the ground floor of the Supreme Court.

Firefighters intervened to extinguish the flames in the commercial premises inside the court building, next to Myslym Shyri Street.

Nevertheless, the consequences for the institution were tangible, as the flames spread extensively across the ground floor. On 20 October, the Supreme Court explained in an announcement that court case files had also been damaged. Hearings, except for urgent cases, would be postponed while the damage was assessed and working conditions were restored.

The Court Was Portrayed as Supporting the Prime Minister, While Criticism Extended to SPAK

Another interpretation, published on 20 October by “Muslim Mirror”, claimed that protesters had set fire to the Supreme Court because it supported the Prime Minister. The post did not mention any specific ruling or provide evidence for the motive it attributed to the attack.

The claim also emerged in political debate outside Albania, as Indian politician Sanjay Raut, who has 1.3 million followers, used footage of the incident to claim that the court was helping corrupt prime ministers and to issue a warning concerning India.

According to NDTV, the post prompted accusations from his opponents that he was threatening constitutional institutions. Raut later stated that he had confidence in the Supreme Court.

The case shows that footage from Tirana was also used in debates about trust in the judiciary within a different political context.

In the Albanian-speaking sphere, attention was not limited to the damaged buildings. On 14 October, the Instagram account “Albanian History” published a text entitled “SPAK, the Failure of Albanian Justice!”.

The post acknowledged that investigations had been conducted and significant sentences handed down, but argued that systemic corruption persisted. It raised concerns about political and foreign influence, called for an independent assessment of SPAK’s results and demanded accountability from prosecutors’ offices and courts.

The text called for protests, an independent judiciary and the lawful removal of leaders who had failed.

In a different development, Pravda Shqipëri, part of the pro-Russian ecosystem, republished material on 19 October citing the Telegram channel “balkanar” as its source.

The article incorporated the damage to the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court into a narrative of escalation towards revolution, using descriptions of authoritarian governance.

The material treated the judiciary as part of the broader political crisis, without providing specific evidence concerning the motives behind the attacks on it.

The fire-related incidents during the protests affected several institutions. On 14 October, attacks on the Constitutional Court and a fire at the Ministry of Justice were reported.

Following the fire at the Supreme Court on 17 October, A2 reported on 19 October that several protesters had entered the Court of Appeal, broken windows and started a fire at the entrance.

On 20 October, according to a statement reported by the media, the National Association of Judges called for better protection of courts and their staff.

The association also objected to the Prime Minister’s language towards judges reviewing security measures imposed on protesters, warning of the risk of pressure on judicial decision-making.

The actual damage to judicial institutions was intertwined with accusations of support for the government, political control and foreign interests, amid a wave of disinformation posts primarily targeting international audiences.

The post Attacks on Courts Accompanied by Claims of Political Control and Foreign Interests first appeared on Amfora.

“An American warship arrived today in the waters near Orikum, in the Bay of Vlorë,” read the caption accompanying the video.

The post mentioned a military helicopter at the rear of the ship and stated that the reason for its presence was unclear. The claim was repeated in English by the account “Kruja Chronicles” on the social media platform X, without any additional information identifying the vessel.

The presence of the ships was genuine, but claims that they were American and linked to the protests were unsupported by evidence and proved to be false. The Ministry of Defence’s response to Amfora, together with documentation of the activities at Pashaliman, confirmed that a NATO exercise had taken place.

In its written response, the ministry confirmed that the “NEPTUNE STRIKE 26-4” exercise had taken place in the Bay of Vlorë from 17 to 19 October.

“No American ship took part,” the Ministry of Defence told Amfora.

According to the ministry, the vessels present were Turkish and the activity had been planned in advance. The ministry also confirmed the use of two unmanned aerial vehicles in the exercise area beyond the Karaburun Peninsula.

Meanwhile, Turkish participation in the exercise had been made public before the activities in Vlorë. In an announcement dated 15 October, Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defence had announced the deployment of TCG Anadolu, the frigate TCG Gaziantep and the submarine TCG Gür for the NATO exercise in several maritime areas, including the Adriatic and Ionian seas.

On 19 October, Anadolu Agency documented TCG Anadolu’s participation in the exercise at the Pashaliman Naval Base. Demonstrations involving helicopters and Bayraktar TB3 drones took place during the activity.

Other posts, however, went beyond claims about the vessel’s nationality. The X account known as Dunav Intel mentionedits resemblance to TCG Anadolu, a possible Bayraktar drone flight and previous claims concerning American and Israeli interests on Sazan Island.

The post brought these elements together in a single narrative but provided no evidence of an operational connection between them.

Narratives Also Targeted the Military and the New US Ambassador

Claims about the ships in Vlorë emerged in a context in which movements of vehicles described as military in Tirana had also been interpreted as preparations for intervention against protesters.

On 15 October, Amfora fact-checked reports published by Syri.net and Lajmifundit.al, which presented footage of trucks as evidence that the military was being deployed against students.

These claims also circulated beyond Albanian media outlets, using footage that did not show vehicles or uniforms belonging to the Albanian Armed Forces.

On Instagram, Al Arabiya published footage of another convoy of vehicles, describing it in Arabic as the beginning of the deployment of the Armed Forces on the streets of Tirana, amid escalating protests and clashes with police.

The account powerfulcountries went further, claiming that Prime Minister Edi Rama had ordered the deployment of heavily armed, militarised tactical units to contain protesters.

The post also linked public dissatisfaction to the project of Jared Kushner, the US president’s son-in-law, presenting the approval of the resort as one of the criticisms directed at the government.

Meanwhile, trendingalb reported that circulating videos appeared to show military personnel in central Tirana. The account also mentioned claims about American helicopters near Berat, but explicitly described them as unverified. Thus, the same post brought together protest footage, an alleged military presence and suspicions about American aircraft, without confirming any connection between them.

The reports also appeared in Turkish media. In an article published in English on 19 October, Haberler placed the convoy footage in the context of the protests in Albania.

However, the article clarified that there was no official confirmation linking the convoy to the protests and that there was no verified information about soldiers intervening against demonstrators or the military being tasked with suppressing the protests.

The footage also circulated in Russian. In a video posted by the account “SPART NEWS”, the convoy of trucks was accompanied by the caption: “Tirana in flames: Military convoys enter the capital, Rama clings to power.” The visible description added that Tirana had turned into a “battlefield” overnight.

Meanwhile, claims about the presence of an American ship near Vlorë also circulated on foreign accounts.

According to preliminary monitoring by Amfora Centre’s “Resilience Observatory”, the account DD Geopolitics shared material about the military presence in the area, as part of posts linking it to the protests.

Material on the same topic was also published by Srbin.info, extending the discussion to Serbian-speaking audiences.

In a parallel narrative, Albania News-Pravda shifted attention to the Trump family’s economic interests in Albania by republishing an article from PolitNavigator entitled “How Trump’s Son-in-Law Became the Detonator of the Albanian Revolution”.

The website portrayed Jared Kushner’s project as a symbol of foreign elites benefiting while young Albanians faced economic hardship.

News-Pravda is part of the “Pravda” ecosystem of websites, documented by the French agency VIGINUM in its “Portal Kombat” investigation as a network spreading pro-Russian content. The VIGINUM report describes the expansion of this ecosystem towards audiences in different countries.

Regarding Srbin.info, a study published in 2020 by NATO’s Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence documented the frequent republication of Sputnik Srbija content and a predominantly pro-Russian editorial orientation.

DD Geopolitics, meanwhile, was described in an Intel Focus analysis published in September 2026 as a network of accounts spreading pro-Russian propaganda.

The narrative surrounding the ships developed alongside claims about the role of the US ambassador and the possible use of the military during the protests.

On 16 October, US Ambassador Eric Wendt met with the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Arben Kingji.

Newsbomb cited unidentified sources regarding an alleged message from the ambassador concerning the use of the military.

The public announcement of the meeting, reproduced in the same article, referred to defence cooperation, capability modernisation, and national and collective security, without mentioning any instructions concerning troop deployment.

An article published by “Tempull News” also raised the question of whether the meeting was linked to an alleged message concerning military readiness, although the outlet acknowledged that it had no independent confirmation of the existence, content or reason for the alleged order.

On social media, the claim took a more categorical form.

A post by “diaspora.news.shqip” claimed that the ambassador had ordered the Albanian military not to intervene during the protests and referred to several photographs of messages from a WhatsApp conversation.

The actual presence of the ships, footage of vehicle convoys and the US ambassador’s meeting with the head of the military were thus woven into narratives about intervention during the protests, despite the absence of evidence linking these developments. These narratives spread widely both within Albania and abroad at the height of the wave of protests.

The post NATO Exercise and Military Movements Portrayed as Intervention During Protests first appeared on Amfora.

Chanting “KLA” and slogans against Volodymyr Zelenskyy, they proceeded as far as the vicinity of the former Russian Embassy in Tirana, where they symbolically placed the words “Free Dardania” over the street sign bearing its recently adopted name, “Free Ukraine.” The reaction came one day after the Ukrainian president stated in Belgrade that Ukraine’s position of non-recognition of Kosovo remained unchanged.

“Our position of non-recognition of Kosovo remains unchanged,” was the exact wording Zelenskyy used on August 8 during a press conference in Belgrade. During the same public appearance, he thanked Serbia for respecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity, including Crimea, and did not go into detail about Serbia’s claims over Kosovo.

The statement reached Kosovo alongside institutional reactions. On August 9, the Municipality of Prishtina removed from a building near Zahir Pajaziti Square a banner featuring the Ukrainian flag and the words “Free Ukraine,” which had been installed following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Mayor Përparim Rama posted a video that received more than 400,000 views on Facebook and linked the decision to the failure to respect Kosovo’s statehood, while stressing that empathy and solidarity with peoples facing war and persecution continued.

These developments were framed through pro-Serbian and pro-Russian narratives by several media outlets and public figures, creating the impression that Albanians’ pro-Ukraine position had changed while denying the legitimate existence of the state of Kosovo.

From Local Reactions to Russian State Amplification

Zelenskyy’s statement, followed by the decision to remove the banner in the heart of Prishtina, fuelled a network of social media accounts linked to Russian and Serbian state propaganda, as well as broader forms of nationalism directed particularly against Kosovo and against Albanians in general.

The Russian outlet Sputnik Srbija, which covers developments and events in Serbia, reported the banner’s removal on Telegram, using the wording “the so-called Kosovo” and linking the decision to Zelenskyy’s visit to Belgrade. However, it omitted the part of Prishtina Mayor Përparim Rama’s statement in which he said that empathy and solidarity with peoples facing war and persecution continued. From the wider reaction, it selected only the action that could be interpreted as a withdrawal of support for Ukraine.

Only 27 minutes later, the Balkan section of Russia Today published an almost identical paragraph, with the same sequence of information and the same designation, “the so-called Kosovo.” It similarly presented the story without placing Përparim Rama’s statement in context.

An analysis of posts by media outlets and accounts operating mainly on X shows that the story was distorted through three successive shifts: Vučić’s political paraphrase was turned into a quotation that Zelenskyy had never uttered; the Municipality of Prishtina’s decision and the reaction of a group of protesters in Tirana were generalised as the position of Albanians as a whole; and disappointment with Kyiv was used to promote the idea of Albanians drawing closer to Russia.

Alongside the messages disseminated by Russian channels, similar messages were also circulated by Serbian accounts, which now focused on events in the Albanian capital. A video was shared showing a group of protesters from the civic movement, which had been continuing for 77 days, passing in front of the Ukrainian Embassy in Tirana. The protesters, visibly angered, chanted against Zelenskyy, but said nothing about Ukraine itself or about support for Russia in particular.

Profiles on X, such as that of Vladimir Stevanović, reposted the video while adding misleading elements and framing it in a way that suited a pro-Russian narrative—as though Albanians were turning against Ukraine and in favour of Putin.

“Albanians from Albania and Kosovo are shouting in front of the Ukrainian Embassy in Tirana: ‘Zelensky, Zelensky, … [offensive words quoted in English],’ while chants in support of Russia and Putin can also be heard,” he wrote, although no such chants could be heard in the videos shared by protesters.

Even the statement by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, which supported both Ukraine and Kosovo while calling for normalisation and mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia, became the target of ethnonationalist and stigmatising language. Some posts labelled Albanians “separatists” and “drug and organ traffickers,” without providing evidence, while describing Kosovo as “occupied territory.” Marinko Učur, presented as a journalist based in Bosnia and Herzegovina, “translated” the statement through a response directed against the very existence of the state of Kosovo.

“Albanians are still dreaming wet separatist dreams! Do they really think that, even in their madness, anyone would ever recognise the occupation of 14% of their territory in order to enable the creation of another Albanian state in the Balkans?” he wrote above the post by the Albanian Foreign Ministry.

“Serbia does not need any recognition from Albanian separatists and drug and organ traffickers. It will not happen! UN Resolution 1244 is still in force!” concluded Marinko Učur, a journalist from Banja Luka and commentator on political affairs in Republika Srpska, who is known for his pronounced Serbian nationalist perspective.

The Narrative of Disappointment with Ukraine Was Converted into Support for Russia

Criticism of Kyiv began as a reaction to its non-recognition of Kosovo, but within part of the Albanian-speaking information space it gradually changed direction. The debate shifted from demands for reciprocity from Ukraine to the claim that Albanians should reconsider their position on the war and draw closer to Russia. In this way, Kosovo’s diplomatic position was used to question support for Ukraine and to normalise pro-Russian messages.

“Let’s go Russia, a little harder,” read the caption of a video published by the profile “MATEAN” on TikTok on August 8. The video displayed the texts: “The clown Zelensky visits Serbia, Russia’s greatest ally. The clown reconfirmed that Ukraine supports the genocidal state of Serbia against Kosovo’s independence,” and “Meanwhile, Kosovo is one of Ukraine’s biggest supporters in the world.”

At the time of monitoring, the video had reached almost 210,000 views, 7,089 likes, 843 comments and 953 shares. The profile had around 25,000 followers and 3.3 million cumulative likes across its content. Among the comments receiving high engagement were accounts writing “Now I support Russia” and “Free Russia,” as well as calls to remove Ukrainian flags and expel Ukrainian citizens.

One day later, a similar narrative appeared in an even more direct form within the Albanian-speaking space on X, while targeting an international audience through English-language descriptions. The profile called “Kruja Chronicles” wrotethat Albanians should “switch sides and fight for Russia.”

The comment was accompanied by the resharing of a photograph published on March 10, 2026, showing several armed individuals in military uniforms holding the Albanian flag. The photograph was presented with the description: “Photo of individuals from Albania who are reportedly serving in Ukraine’s Territorial Defence Forces.”

Continuing this narrative, another post drew a parallel between Kosovo and the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia in Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. It argued that because the West had supported Kosovo’s right to self-determination, the same principle should be applied to the Russian population in these regions. According to this reasoning, residents who identify as Russian and do not want to be governed by Ukraine should have the right to self-government or unification with Russia, while the opposing position was presented as the use of double standards.

After this year’s Orthodox Easter, Alexander Dugin shared a post by the same profile showing the Orthodox community at the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral in Tirana. Dugin added the description: “Albania was once a Christian country. Modern Albania was founded by the Orthodox priest Fan Noli.”

He is known as an ideologue of modern anti-Albanianism and represents the ideological wing of Russian imperialism-an ultranationalist, anti-liberal and expansionist project that views Russia as the centre of a Eurasian empire and denies the full sovereignty of countries Moscow considers part of its sphere of influence.

The thrust of the posts on social media, particularly on X, rested on equating Kosovo, an already independent state, with the Ukrainian regions of Donbas and Crimea. But this analogy disregards their different contexts: Kosovo went through war, NATO intervention and international administration, whereas Crimea and parts of Donbas are internationally recognised as parts of Ukraine that have been occupied or annexed by Russia. Zelenskyy’s statement was therefore used to construct a false equivalence and turn Ukraine’s non-recognition of Kosovo into an argument in support of Russian aggression.

Vučić’s Phrase Attributed to Zelenskyy

One of the principal distortions of Zelenskyy’s statement occurred when his wording about Ukraine’s unchanged position of non-recognition of Kosovo was replaced with the sentence “Kosovo is Serbia.” The difference is not merely linguistic: the Ukrainian president reaffirmed Kyiv’s longstanding policy, while the second formulation directly asserts Serbia’s position on Kosovo’s status, rather than Ukraine’s.

The phrase was used on August 9 by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who, while commenting on the reactions in Prishtina, said that Zelenskyy had come to Belgrade and, according to his interpretation, had said, “Yes, Kosovo is Serbia.” Although those words do not appear in the Ukrainian president’s statement, they were Vučić’s political paraphrase of Kyiv’s position.

One of the media outlets that detached this paraphrase from Vučić and attributed it to Zelenskyy was Borba.me, which is based in Montenegro and publishes markedly pro-Serbian and pro-Russian content. In its report on disinformation in Montenegro during 2024, the regional fact-checking network SEE Check listed it among the main websites spreading pro-Russian and anti-European Union narratives.

On August 9, the online outlet used a headline claiming that Albanians in Kosovo had removed the Ukrainian flag after Zelenskyy “said that Kosovo is Serbia.” Vučić’s paraphrase was thus presented in the headline as a statement by the Ukrainian president, even though the article itself did not support that attribution.

In Serbia, the pro-government outlet Informer TV posted Vučić’s video on TikTok and presented “Zelenskyy’s message that Kosovo is Serbia” as an excellent outcome of his visit to Belgrade. The video received at least 1,637 likes, 269 comments and 225 shares. Meanwhile, the Serbian organisation CRTA has listed Informer among the media outlets that frequently publish manipulative news. The reach of these posts centred on the interpretation used by Vučić, which was then presented as a direct quotation from Zelenskyy.

Profiles such as that of Mladen Mrdalj, who describes himself as holding a PhD in political science and working as a part-time lecturer at Webster University in the United States, offered a controversial perspective following Zelenskyy’s statement. He promoted the view that Kosovo should no longer receive Western support because Putin uses it as a “card” to justify his expansionist plans, although his posts partly align with arguments exploited by the Kremlin.

“The moral foundation of Western support for Ukraine would be much stronger if the West followed Ukrainian support for Serbian territorial integrity by ending support for the Kosovo Albanian secessionist parastate that Putin consistently invokes to justify his aggression,” he wrote on X.

What began as disappointment with a diplomatic position held by Kyiv was thus transformed in the digital sphere through distorted quotations, the generalisation of isolated reactions and content that adapted local events to pro-Serbian and pro-Russian narratives. Reactions in Prishtina and Tirana were interpreted as the collective position of Albanians, while criticism of Ukraine was used to normalise messages in favour of Russia.

The post From “Kosovo Is Serbia” to “Fight for Russia”: How Zelenskyy’s Statement Was Distorted on Social Media first appeared on Amfora.

Ambassador Gonzato’s statement further underlined that: “The EU will continue to raise these concerns and support reforms that create a safer and fairer environment for journalists. At the same time, we will continue to invest in independent journalism, fact-checking initiatives, and media education because informed citizens are the best defence against disinformation and manipulation,” concluded Ambassador Gonzato.

The organizers highlighted the growing interest and professional standards in investigative journalism, reflecting the continued commitment of journalists to protecting transparency and the right to information.

“This year we had not only the highest number of applications but also the highest quality and most diverse topics, addressing misuse of public funds, corruption, and issues surrounding ecology, health, and cultural heritage,” said Sanja Lazic, representative of ‘Thomson Media’, in her opening remarks at the ceremony.

The ceremony carried on with the jury’s presentation, which selected this year’s winners from 32 applications, with members Blerjana Bino, Fatjona Mejdini, and Rashela Shehu, who presented the winners of the awards for the best investigative stories of 2024, divided into three awards. The first prize was won by journalists Geri Emiri and Erjola Azizolli from the media Amfora.al for the article “Resort at the Bay of Manastir destroyed the archaeological potential of Butrint Park”.

The Amfora investigation revealed the destruction of archaeological heritage in coastal areas for profit purposes, documenting how construction companies benefited from the government-granted status of so-called “Strategic Investor” despite clear violations of UNESCO rules and regulations. The article raises serious questions about accountability, corruption, and the protection of cultural assets on Albania’s path towards European integration.

The second prize this year had two winners, which went to journalists Vladimir Karaj and Edmond Hoxhaj from the media outlet “Reporter.al”. Karaj’s article – “Like in prison: African workers face deprivation of liberty and exploitation in Albania” – brings shocking evidence of the exploitation of African workers through discriminatory and illegal practices, documenting serious human rights violations. Meanwhile, journalist Hoxhaj’s research – “KPK asked for donation from Kastrati’s company, reminding him of a previously won tender” – exposes the lack of transparency in a key institution of justice reform, raising questions about institutional integrity and ethics in seeking public funds.

In third place were journalists Erisa Kryeziu and Esmeralda Keta from the media outlet “Citizens.al” with the article “They exploit us to the core: Women in the manufacturing industry complain about working conditions”. Their well-documented investigation addresses the exploitation of women in garment factories, shedding light on an important social and economic problem that often remains in the shadows.

In last year’s awards, “Third Place” went to journalists Geri Emiri, Aida Ciro, and Aleksandar Dimitrievski from Amfora.al for their article that exposed the challenges faced by farmers in the Balkans in accessing EU funds through the IPARD Programme.

The European Union Investigative Journalism Awards are presented by the European Union in cooperation with Thomson Media in the Western Balkan countries and in Turkey, with the aim of strengthening and supporting independent and investigative journalism.

The post European Union awards first prize to Amfora’s investigation into the destruction of Butrint Park first appeared on Amfora.

These Hollywood scenes from 1983 continue to inspire, so much so that the “king of gambling in Albania”, Ervis Martinaj, allegedly built a similar palace, which he baptized as “Arbëria Palace” and under the bright neon, “The World Is Yours”, decided to pose his lion that had just started walking.

Baptized as “King Simba” and with the suffix “007”, which seemed to represent Martinaj, he first appeared on TikTok on December 21, 2021. The audience of the cub, who is thought to have arrived there at 3 months old, grew week after week, seeing him from the first days with a bottle of milk, to the poses in the luxurious surroundings of the “Arbëria Palace” Hotel, in Fushë-Milot.

“Simba is now quite big, about 1 meter tall,” said one of the waiters at the hotel bar with a smile. His account has stopped posting since Martinaj himself disappeared under still unclear circumstances, leaving behind scenarios similar to the end of the character he wanted to resemble, Tony Montana.

The lion is now grown and unsuitable for the hotel’s customers, who were once curious to see him. Arbëria Palace executives declined to comment on its whereabouts. But it seems that Martinaj turned keeping a lion into a symbol of power – for organized crime bosses, who were also involved at the highest levels.

After the success of 2017, when the international organization “Four Paws”, in cooperation with the authorities, intervened to confiscate and then send abroad 3 lions that were kept in scandalous conditions in the private park, “Safari Park Zoo” in Fier, crime bosses and the children of millionaires turned the situation upside down by importing dozens of cubs.

“If previously these animals were reported to be kept in cages in business premises, bars or hotels, there have been an increase in cases where they are also kept by individuals as companion animals. Their sale is openly ‘online’ and in stores, without any control,” commented the situation through an official statement, the organization “Animal Rescue Albania”.

Through a regional investigation, Amfora discovered that lion cubs have been appearing in recent years in countries such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia – raising suspicions of an organized criminal network in their breeding, transport and sale.

During field checks in several countries, where undercover methods were also used to collect evidence, Amfora documented that at least in Albania and Kosovo, a lion cub can be easily ordered through “pet shops”, while evidence points to a large regional market, outside the control of the authorities.

“If you contact [pet shops], the first thing they say is, oh lions and tigers are easy for me. It’s difficult for me if you ask me for a dinosaur”, explained veterinarian Ariel Vasili.

In Albania, more and more lion cubs are being bought as pets, replacing the pets of crime bosses, children of businessmen and politicians, spread throughout the country, but mainly in the central and northern regions.

“It is thought that there are about 80 or 90 big cats, that is, lions and tigers in Albania,” analyzed veterinarian Ariel Vasili, for the calculations that have been made through the research work of experts and animal protection organizations. The numbers increased only after “lion cubs” became the new symbol of criminal power in recent years.

“If we make a comparison by the number of inhabitants, it is very close to the number of big cats kept in South Africa, which is the first country in the world,” explained Sajmir Shehu, from the international organization “Four Paws”.

“This is related to the mentality of these types of people. They usually think that I cannot keep a dog as a pet because I am not at the same level as my neighbor,” he added.

They are trafficked as puppies and manage to survive through feeding them baby-like milk, inappropriate treatment, and the way they are kept which later creates health problems.

“They were both malnourished,” said Sonja Mandić, director of the Palić Zoo in the city of Subotica in Serbia, of the two lion cubs that the police brought to her. “They were not fed the right kind of food or supplements, they were fed formula milk for human babies,” she added.

Lions and Tigers – The Latest Fashion of Organized Crime

15 minutes away from the now-fallen empire of Ervis Martinaj, another empire has been set up on a picturesque peninsula in the Patok Lagoon. “Royal Blue” is a luxury restaurant owned by the family of the self-proclaimed “drug lord”, Gëzim Çela.

On November 28, 2023, a baby lion was the special guest of Albania’s independence celebration, pouring glasses of wine, next to a traditional table, behind which 4 waiters in traditional clothing lined up to serve him. That shows a video on Instagram. 

“He’s 8 months old now, he’s grown up a lot for a visit,” one of the restaurant employees said slowly, when we asked to see the lion, adding, “It’s too dangerous for you.”

A little further on, “Are you looking for the lion?” a boy behind the counter asked eagerly. “I have one here,” the boy added, taking his cell phone out of his pocket and showing photos of the exotic animal.

We soon learned that his name was “Tajson” and that he was fed fresh meat every day. Gëzim Çela lived for several years on the run and gave in to his criminal imagination, hiring the chief of the Kurbin Police, Dritan Metaj, as his “driver.” Çela, once a police officer himself – was arrested in Kosovo and after extradition is accused of being the head of a structured criminal group for drug trafficking.

However, Tyson is said to have been brought into the family by his son. The owners of the “Royal Blue” restaurant, where the lion had appeared several times, refused to comment on him.

Activists say that keeping these animals by criminal families also makes it difficult to identify their owner, in case of a denunciation to the authorities. Gëzim Çela managed to change the ownership of the restaurant before his arrest, while other drug lords have changed their names and are not the owners of real estate.

“I have no way of knowing who the person is, I only have a video and it is removed the moment the case becomes public,” explained Oli Pero of similar cases, who runs the “Animals Need Me” organization, focused on Shkodra.

Organized crime in the region, although it worships the figure of the lion through quoting quotes and postings with its icon (“emoy”), seems less courageous to go to these levels.

Experts indicate that this approach was also developed after the relocation of Albanian organized crime exponents to Dubai, where, although it is illegal, the criminal elites of the Middle East who keep tigers and lions began to be inspired by the image.

“About 70% are lions and 30% are tigers”, analyzed expert Sajmir Shehu.

“They think that lions are a little calmer, not as aggressive as tigers and they have information about people who usually have tigers and then change them into lions because tigers are very aggressive”, confessed Shehu. “I don’t know what they expected?!”, he followed with rhetorical questions.

Moving even further north in Albania – “King Didi” was another surprise when he appeared in a narrow alley, the pillars of which were overloaded with security cameras. Next to a luxury Mercedes Benz “G” class, he walked like a wandering pedestrian, apparently the newest resident of the neighborhood.

We calculated his audience and he is the most famous Albanian lion on “TikTok”, where one of the videos has received 7.2 million views. Among the comments from the audience, prayers stand out with the message that when he grows up and can no longer be kept, to notify the organization “Four Paws”.

But the arrogance of the account manager on “TikTok” is followed by comments that he eats 2 kg of meat a day.

“It is illegal to own a wild animal. It should be free in its original habitat and not as a pet, in a house,” commented a social media user in English.

Anisa Kostani comes to the side of the account owner – who asks the commenter to speak Albanian – by showing that she knows the law well and not to deal with lions, but with dogs on chains.

“Ahaa, I am a police officer, you show me the law,” she replies to the commenter who points out that it is illegal to keep a lion.

The officer works in the economic crime sector of the Elbasan Police Department – another city bloodied by clashes between criminal gangs. Passionate about snakes, which she exposes on her social networks, she is not an isolated case. Amfora also identified other police officers who were exposed with young lions.

The Lion in Shkodra is suspected of being based in one of the bases of the Bajri crime family, in what is known as the Dobraç Neighborhood. Like the hashtags accompanying the lion’s videos – Belgium and Brussels – the group is known for being extremely violent in its activity.

criminal act there, which he has also transferred to Shkodra, facing in recent years the Special Prosecution.

In the last 10 years, the State Police has investigated people who have caught or kept animals illegally, but it seems that they have not yet reached the depths of crime, where lions and tigers hide.

“For the criminal offense ‘Damage to protected species of wild flora and fauna’, according to article 202 of the Criminal Code, for the period 01.08.2014 – 01.08.2024, 15 cases have been identified, with 19 perpetrators prosecuted, 3 of them arrested in flagrante delicto, 15 prosecuted while at large and 1 declared wanted”, the police officially explained.

In one year, Oli Pero and the activists have filed 22 criminal reports in several cities for animal abuse. “However, these criminal charges have not borne fruit as we might have hoped at first because the criminal codes for animals are numerous,” the young woman said.

Amfora learned that she and other experts in Albania have faced pressure and physical attacks after following up on various cases of illegal animal keeping. Meanwhile, in North Macedonia, one of the experts and activists who identified the keeping of a lion was threatened with her life.

“It was a truly terrifying experience for me,” the woman said. “The mafia discussed killing me and other things like that,” she added – after denouncing that a lion cub was being exposed on social media and calling on the authorities to act.

The rise in popularity of lions is also being influenced by the appearances of public figures alongside them. Albanian rapper “Noizy” appeared in a video on “TikTok” playing with two lions – his manager did not comment on the case when asked.

He also got involved in a TV prank, assuming he had bought a lion and called fellow rapper “Stresi” directly, who, not realizing he was on national television, started talking about a real case – which was implied to be Ervis Martinaj’s lion.

“TV shows often feature exotic animals like wolves or snakes and interview their owners for entertainment, captivating the public in Kosovo,” commented Arif Aliu, worriedly from across the border.

“The sentence is too low.” The environmentalist appealed for the law to take people seriously for this type of crime, adding, “It’s not that we lack the legal basis to prosecute crimes, but it’s the implementation that is lacking.”

“Influencers” on social media are also part of the impressive lion shows. Stefan Janković is a young man in Serbia who appeared raising a lion cub with both hands – He counts at least 3 million combined followers on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

From “TikTok” to “Pet Shops”, the illegal trafficking route

The monopoly on the transfer and keeping of exotic animals such as lions and tigers in the Balkans is held by “zoological units”, i.e. certified zoos – mainly state-owned, which exchange them with each other according to needs in the region and beyond.

“There is no price for them, there is no legal market for the sale and purchase of lions and tigers”, explained veterinarian Ariel Vasili.

But in front of this is a reality where the illegal trade in wild animals ranks as the fourth largest criminal activity worldwide, after arms, narcotics and human trafficking.

This market is worth around $ 23 billion a year according to the World Economic Forum. Mainly through “TikTok”, traffickers manage to easily find clients and camouflage themselves. Amfora discovered that in Albania and Kosovo, some traffickers hide under the guise of “Pet Shops”.

“Communicating with foreign mobile numbers and not with Albanian numbers is like a covert form to bypass traditional channels such as ‘Facebook’, which was previously used”, analyzed Xhemal Xherri, who follows and denounces such crimes through PPNEA (Center for the Conservation and Protection of the Natural Environment in Albania).

He explained that “TikTok” and “Instagram” are the most flexible and difficult tools to track. Websites are also used for the trade of various goods, where from an open search, in two different posts for “Tirana” and “Prishtina”, the same seller offered lion cubs for 9,000 euros.

“Prices range from 6,000 euros – when the main source is found – to 12,000 euros,” Sajmir Shehu estimated based on his research.

“Golem Dog Farm” (“Ferma e Qenve Golem”) continues to maintain its base in the village of the same name near Durrës. But it now also has its own pet shop in the capital. On its TikTok profile, a post with a lion cub is kept at the top of the page, as the most special animal that is traded.

A slightly rusty sign, not far from the coastline, shows that tucked away in a multi-story residential and service building, there is a pet shop, where the smell of dog excrement invades your senses dozens of meters away.

The man with zero hair, about fivetithes, he walked among the puppies, which were painted with care for several meters on a wall, accompanied by expressions of love and care for them.

But when asked about the four-legged members of the big cat family, he indicated that he could provide a lion cub within two weeks, for 3,000 to 4,000 euros each. However, after talking to his son on “WhatsApp” to close the deal, he turned around sharply, saying, “We don’t sell lions here!”.

Meanwhile, another pet store, “Pet Store Tirana”, promises to bring a lion to your home for 7,500 euros. But these are not the only ones, other traffickers offer lion and tiger cubs in a more camouflaged way.

When asked again two weeks later by phone whether they sell lions to private clients, the pet store in Golem refused to comment. But the rapid timing of the animals arrival has raised suspicions that the “farms” are located somewhere in or near the Balkans and that the trafficking is carried out illegally via land routes.

“From the data we have from the field and from social networks, it is a well-structured illegal market for smuggling wild and exotic animals, bypassing the CITES law, national and international laws on animal trade,” explained veterinarian Ariel Vasili – specialized in the treatment of cat species.

Albania is part of CITES – the International Convention on Endangered Species – and for any animal or bird classified internationally as endangered or rare, the transporter must have an export permit for their entry or exit from Albania.

The Ministry of Tourism and Environment is responsible for implementing CITES in Albania. But according to official data, the situation has no connection with the local reality. Similarly, from the observation in the region, excluding Kosovo which is not part of the convention, there is a lack of official data on lions discovered, proving that it is 100% illegal.

“There have been 2 cases of captivity of tiger and lion species in our territory, which have been seized and sent to shelters abroad, the ministry in Albania officially explained.

Also, from the analysis of 10-year data of all imports and exports, it does not appear that lion or tiger cubs have been officially introduced, except for the cited case of the private zoo in Fier and the new arrivals to the Tirana Zoo.

“This type of trade in exotic animals is a sector that generates a lot of income and connects many interest groups,” analyzed Xhemal Xherri from PPNEA.

“Of course, social networks are a very good way to promote this type of trade,” he added.

While it is suspected by several of our sources that some of these lion and tiger cubs pass illegally through land customs, the State Police stated that in 10 years it has not identified any such trafficking case.

“For the criminal offense ‘Trafficking in species protected areas of wild flora and fauna’, according to article 202/a of the Criminal Code, for the period 01.08.2014 – 01.08.2024, no cases have been identified, therefore no actions have been taken by the State Police and consequently no information is generated”, the police in Albania officially explained.

Also in Kosovo in various cities, pet stores have started advertising lion cubs for sale. At the end of May, “Smart Pet Shop” in Gjilan, offered 2 lion cubs for sale on Instagram.

“Hello dear customers, we inform you that the lions are no longer available. Thank you for your interest!”, the pet store wrote on “Instagram” on May 31 – But when asked by us, the merchant said that he only sells dogs, cats and parrots.

130 kilometers from there, there is “Pet Store Peja”, another pet store. “At the beginning of my business I didn’t know, I went to the website and saw that someone was offering tigers and lions, I posted them too,” the man explained.

“I posted them, but the police called me for two hours and I went to give a statement in Peja,” he added, but he still said he continued to offer other exotic animals, including small turtles, monkeys and dangerous snakes.

“I can pick them up from Belgrade whenever you want,” he said.

In Pristina, Arif Aliu of the Animal Rights Foundation suspects that the owner of the Peja shop uses his second business – a taxi service that operates throughout the Balkans – to move the protected species.

“We think the cubs are somewhere in Croatia or [somewhere else in] the Balkans, and he is simply advertising them to gauge interest before bringing them to Kosovo,” Aliu explained, fearing that the trend will soon flourish there as well.

The lions and tigers, according to analyses conducted by veterinarians, are not native to Africa and were not born in the wild. They were born to mothers held in captivity, and the diseases they carry have raised suspicions of a farm that could be in or near the Balkans.

“They say they bring them from Serbia That’s how they say, oh it came from Serbia,” veterinarian Ariel Vasili said, regarding most of the comments heard in Albania about the origin of these lions.

A health problem that has been talked about recently is that lions are starting to show problems with their knees, a health issue generally associated with inbreeding.

“We have started to see that even those from Serbia have problems with their knees because they [traffickers] probably have a little difficulty finding new pairs. Females are hard to find, they are also difficult to order,” Vasili analyzed for Media Amfora.

“The little information I have, they usually come through Kosovo from Serbia, or through Montenegro. But it is a little more difficult. “Through Kosovo, it is a little easier for them to enter through the Mitrovica region,” were the suspicions of Sajmir Shehu, who has worked with the “Four Paws” organization to send lions held in captivity abroad.

Suspicions are also increased by the fact that traffickers – pet stores – promise that they can arrive in 2 weeks. Amfora searched for possible traces of two suspected farms in the territory of Belgrade and Niš, but their existence was not identified.

“Everything about animals in one place”, this is the motto of the young man who identifies himself with the nickname “Dani Tarzan” on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. He is thought to be originally from Dubai and lives in Serbia, also presenting himself under the name “Dani Al Aloush”.

He looks to be in his 30s and first appeared on Instagram in 2022 and a year later on TikTok. From lions, to tigers, including other exotic animals like monkeys and snakes, he has decided his phone numbers to sell the animals, birds and reptiles he trades.

“I don’t have it in Serbia, it’s in Dubai,” he said when asked about the lions, avoiding confrontation with reporters. The videos show that he keeps the animals in an apartment with lowered shutters, where a long weapon, similar to a rifle, is also visible and there is a green space outside. Relevant authorities in Serbia did not respond to requests for information on the situation.

“Of course, in Serbia, as in any country that borders the EU, there is this concern about the illegal trade in animals,” said Belgrade veterinarian Kristijan Ovari, adding that authorities have not shared the results of any  investigations that they may have done to uncover sellers or traders of tigers and lions.

But he suspects that there is as much demand for illegal lion cubs in Serbia as there is in Albania. “People like that are more likely to have a pit bull or something like that [lions and tigers],” he said.

However, a chain of responsible authorities in Serbia did not respond to requests for information about the situation there.

Accidental discoveries, hundreds may be hidden in the Balkans

Near the border with Hungary, on the outskirts of Subotica, local police were notified by a resident who could not believe his eyes about what he had seen. A lion cub, seemingly exhausted but not at all scared – which is suspected to have been used to people – was wandering around.

The easiest solution for the police in these cases was the nearby Palić Zoo, where the female cub was sent in September 2023.

For the zoo staff, it was no surprise, since in 2022 the police had also “dumped” a rescued lion cub there, forgetting to search for the perpetrators to the end.

In the first case, “The male lion had kidney problems, but has since recovered,” explained Sonja Mandić, the director of the Palić Zoo, where she has worked for 15 years, to Amfora.

Similar cases were also identified in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia, where lion cubs were seen on the streets and on social media, which although remain isolated cases, the authorities have launched investigations – which have not yielded any serious findings so far.

“We see that more lions and other big cats are ending up in private ownership,” said Simone Schuls, the Sanctuary Manager from “Four Paws“, in an interview in a big cat rehabilitation center in the tiny Dutch village of Nijeberkoop – and lions kept in captivity in the Balkans have also ended up for treatment, including the lions that were rescued from Fier and from Montenegro. “It is expected that in the coming decades, many such animals will need shelters,” she added.

“At a young age they can be kept in home conditions, but when they grow up, they pose a danger to those who keep them, to their relatives, but also to society in general,” commented her colleague, Afrim Mahmuti.

“These are not pets, but they don’t understand,” added Mahmuti, the Kosovo director of the organization “Four Paws”, which has built the “Bear Sanctuary”, an environment where bears and one lion – Djoni – rescued from captivity in Albania and Kosovo are rehabilitated and live.

The high number of lions and tigers kept in private facilities in Albania and the Balkans has raised concerns about the future of their treatment, processes that require dedicated spaces and high costs for maintenance and food – while to date there is no regional center for keeping them in case of rescue.

“The zoo usually helps, but our problem is that we have very limited resources. We can’t accept many animals,” analyzed the veterinarian of the Belgrade Zoo, Kristijan Ovari, worriedly for Amfora.

As the number of lions kept illegally in private facilities in the Balkans increases from time to time, the pace of authorities is much lower for preventing the creation of a large population, which will require millions of euros of investment in their capture and treatment in the near future.

“This article was developed with the support of Journalismfund Europe”

Authors: Geri Emiri – Director of Amfora Media and investigative journalist focused on issues of damage to cultural heritage and environmental crime;
Ingrid Gercama – Investigative journalist reporting on environmental crime, politics and trade from the Balkans and Africa;
Nathalie Bertrams – Documentary photographer and journalist reporting on environmental conflict and social justice;
Vjosa Çerkini – Multimedia journalist and documentary producer from Kosovo.

The post Tigers and lions, the trend of Albanian crime bosses is infecting the Balkans first appeared on Amfora.

In Vlora they left deep traces and had a large community, so that in 1520, out of about 4,000 inhabitants of the city, more than 2,700 were Jews.

The Jews of Vlora built a synagogue there and today their toponymy is still preserved in the city. Learn more about the model coexistence they built in Vlora, through the memories in the video above, of Skënder Spahiu, currently director of Local Museums in Vlora, which also tells about the museum project that will present their history in Albania.

Video team:

Producer and narrator: Geri Emiri

Historical information: Dorian Hatibi

Video-Production: Arlind Veshti

References:

1. Jakoel Josef. Izraelitët në Shqipëri. Tiranë 2020;

2. Grup Autorësh. Fjalori Enciklopedik Shqiptar. Tiranë 2008;

3. Nika Nevila. Jews in the central state archive. Tiranë 2016.

The post The Jews of Vlora, a model of coexistence first appeared on Amfora.

Journalists Anesti Barjamemaj, Vladimir Karaj, Ola Xama, Geri Emiri, Aida Ciro, and Aleksandar Dimitrievski were selected among many colleagues as this year’s winners for their stories on environmental crime, the role of senior officials in corruption, and the difficulties faced by farmers in the Balkans.

André Rizzo, Head of the Political Section of the EU Delegation in Albania, spoke about the role of investigative journalism in holding power accountable and promoting transparency as part of democracy. 

“In a world where the pace of the news cycle and news consumption is so rapid, these awards aim at promoting excellence in investigative journalism that allows citizens to get a more in-depth understanding of news stories,” said Rizzo.

Journalists Anesti Barjamemaj and Vladimir Karaj from Reporter.al and the Voice of America were awarded first place for their investigation into environmental crime at the Sharra Landfill, exposing toxic waste dumping into the Erzen River.

Journalist Ola Xama from Reporter.al was awarded second place for uncovering the role of Tirana’s Mayor Erion Veliaj in the controversial Tirana Incinerator project.

Journalists from Amfora.al, Geri Emiri, and Aida Ciro from Albania, along with journalist Aleksandar Dimitrievski from North Macedonia, were awarded third place for their article that highlighted the challenges faced by Balkan farmers in accessing funds from the IPARD Program. The investigation published by Amfora revealed that the temporary suspension of the IPARD II agricultural program for Albania, following suspicions of corruption by the European Union, was just the tip of the iceberg of a €94.6 million grant package.

According to the findings, the program in Albania had turned into an “exclusive club” for large companies connected to politics and crime, while in North Macedonia, the program exposed similar but less frequent connections

“Our investigation, more than the abuse of EU aid and corruption at various levels, primarily in Albania, is dedicated to one of the most vulnerable groups in society, farmers, and livestock breeders,” explained co-author of the investigation, Geri Emiri.

“In a professional sense, I believe today’s award is dedicated to true journalism, the principled one that verifies every detail, that does not retreat in the face of pressure, and does not chase the ‘scoop,'” added Emiri, emphasizing that the result came from dedication and teamwork.

The three-member jury that selected the winners in Albania consisted of Ilda Londo, who has been a research coordinator at the Albanian Media Institute since 2001 and is specialized in media freedom, regulatory performance, and its development. 

Another member was Albana Kasapi, a senior journalist and editor of the “Weekend” program at BBC World Service Radio. Based in the UK, she has reported on major events across the Balkans, Moscow, Kyiv, and beyond. 

The third jury member was Elira Çanga, a media development expert with various roles over the years in the OSCE, British Council, and USAID. She is also a pioneer in fact-checking and media modernization in Albania.

The European Union Investigative Journalism Awards are given by the European Union in cooperation with “Thomson Media” in the Western Balkan countries and Turkey to empower and support independent journalism and investigative journalists.

The post The European Union Awards prizes for Investigative Journalists in Albania first appeared on Amfora.

The “First Codex of Berat”, written on purple parchment and containing the Gospels according to Matthew and Mark, also dates back to the 6th century. While the second Codex with letters of gold, contains the complete text of the four gospels.

Learn more through the video above and watch the interview with Anila Droboniku, guide of the Onufri National Iconographic Museum, who recounts the centuries-long efforts of the invaders to loot them and how the secret of their hiding place was revealed, transferring them to the funds state, after the discovery on August 12, 1968, where they were hidden inside the Castle of Berat, under the floor of the Kisha “Fjetja e Shën Mërisë” (“The Dormition of Saint Mary” Church), which today has been adapted to the Onufri National Iconographic Museum.

Video team:

Producer and narrator: Geri Emiri

Historical information: Dorian Hatibi

Video-Production: Arlind Veshti

References:

1. “Kodikët e Shqipërisë”, Autorë: Alfred Moisiu, Aleks Buda, Anthimus Alexoudes, Erich Trapp, Johannes Koder, Kaliopi Naska, Koïchiro Matsuura, Kosta Naçi, Llambrini Mitrushi, Nevila Nika, Pierre Batiffol, Roderic L. Mullen, Shaban Sinani, Theofan Popa, Tiranë, 2003;

2. “Kodiku i Purpurt i Beratit”, Banka e Shqipërisë;

3. Photos of the codices: Amfora Media.

The post The Codices of Berat, the purple treasure of Albania first appeared on Amfora.

Decorated with 5 mosaics, it may have been a large luxurious villa, but perhaps also a temple. However, this archaeological discovery is a new opportunity for Durrës and Albania to have a new archaeological pole.

Learn more about this discovery through the video above and interviews with archaeologist Luan Përzhita, who led the research project, and archaeologist Berbis Islami, who focused on the discovered mosaics.

Video team:

Producer and narrator: Geri Emiri

Historical information: Dorian Hatibi

Video-Production: Arlind Veshti

The post The magnificent monument hidden beneath Gjergj Kastrioti in Durrës first appeared on Amfora.

Among the catalysts of the formation of the national identity of the Albanians was an elite school from which these patriots came. It was founded in Shkodër on October 17, 1877 and was called “Saverian College” (Kolegji Saverian).

For more, watch the video published above and the interview with the representative of “Atë Pjetër Meshkalla” High School, Paulo Vjerdha, who told about the continuation of the tradition created by the college, which is the predecessor of today’s school.

Video team:

Producer and narrator: Geri Emiri;

Historical information: Dorian Hatibi;

Video-Production: Arlind Veshti.

References:

1.⁠ ⁠Willi. Kamsi. Fjalori Enciklopedik Shqiptar. Tiranë 2009;

2.⁠ ⁠Meksi. Aleksandër. Historia e Arkitekturës në Shqipëri. Tiranë 2016;

3.⁠ ⁠Murzaku. Ines. Historia e Jezuitëve në Shqipëri. Tiranë 2022.

The post The Saverian College of Shkodër, “the cradle of patriots” first appeared on Amfora.