Three acts approved by the government on October 28 have been challenged before the Constitutional Court by protesting students, who claim the new measures restrict freedom of expression and the right to protest. Representatives of the groups “Studentët n’Protestë” and “Revolucioni Studentor” filed three appeals with the Constitutional Court today, in cooperation with four civil society organizations: the Res Publica Center, the Albanian Helsinki Committee, the Albanian Ornithological Society and EcoAlbania.
At the center of the challenge are Normative Act No. 5/2026, Normative Act No. 6/2026 and CMD No. 815/2026. According to the students, Normative Act No. 5 gives the police broad powers to intervene in the organization of protests, including banning or restricting gatherings near institutions, removing citizens from protected areas and demanding the deletion of posts on social networks. Fines of up to 500,000 lekë may be imposed for violations provided for in this act.
Normative Act No. 6 is contested because of the joint liability it imposes on protest organizers for damages caused also by other persons. The students also raise concern about the imposition of fines for actions carried out before these sanctions entered into force. Another point of the challenge is CMD No. 815, which provides for the creation of a police register at the prosecutor’s office. According to the protesters, this mechanism could lead to restrictions on travel abroad without a court decision, notification to the state where the person is traveling, and even the police informing hotels.
The students consider these measures an intervention that goes beyond maintaining public order and directly affects the fundamental rights of citizens. “These acts aim to narrow the last democratic space we have left: the right to protest, to oppose injustice and to raise our voice,” their statement says.
For this reason, they have asked the Constitutional Court to examine the appeals as a priority and to suspend the implementation of the contested provisions until a final decision is issued. The protesters have also foreseen the possibility that the normative acts may be approved by Parliament as well, asking the Court to extend constitutional review to the corresponding approving laws.
At the end of the statement, the students send a strong message against what they see as a climate of intimidation toward citizens who oppose the government. They say they do not want to live in a reality where protest is seen as a violation and opposition to the government as a crime. “A whole generation of young people is beginning its life facing a state that, instead of guaranteeing space for debate, dissent and democratic participation, responds with violence and fear. We do not want to grow up learning that opposing power is a crime and that taking part in a protest is a reason to be treated as an enemy”, the students conclude in their statement.