
Harriet Bridgeman is accused by the Lezha Prosecution Office of being involved in the surveillance group from England in the murder of Ardian Nikulaj in 2023.
At the Royal Court of Justice, where the process of applying for permission to appeal the extradition decision issued in 2024 for her, two other Britons and Edmond Haxhina took place, her lawyer has revealed several claims as to why she should not be extradited and faced Albanian justice.
The main argument given was that Bridgeman will face inhumane conditions due to the lack of adequate medical infrastructure.
“There is a real risk that the applicant will be subjected to inhumane conditions and treatment due to the lack of adequate medical equipment, and that these conditions will be oppressive due to her health problems,” her lawyer said.
Lawyer Townshend objected to the way the judge who granted the extradition had recorded Bridgeman's condition:
“In my view, the judge erred in ruling that there was no real risk of a breach of Article 3; he wrongly recorded that her PTSD was not complex and that her depression was moderate, not severe.”
“This underestimates the seriousness of the disease, which has direct consequences on the treatment needed and whether Albania can provide such treatment.”
She added: “The judge erred in concluding that the conditions and treatment at the Tirana hospital did not constitute a risk of inhuman or degrading treatment.”
Further in court, the lawyer said, "Bridgeman suffers from complex PTSD and moderate to severe depression."
The judge stressed she did not understand the seriousness and nature of her illness, which led to further errors regarding the treatment requested.
She argued that the Albanian penal system, in particular the Tirana prison hospital, is not equipped to provide the necessary mental health care for Bridgeman:
“One of the mainstays of treatment for this type of disorder is speech therapy, and for someone who is a British citizen and does not speak a word of Albanian, her mental state is likely to deteriorate significantly during imprisonment in Albania.”
Regarding the risk of suicide, she added:
"It will be very difficult for him to communicate how he feels, or what he may intend to do with himself, if he cannot express himself properly with prison staff."
Bridgeman has attempted suicide several times before, using: a gas from a car exhaust pipe and another case of an overdose of paracetamol.
There have been four attempts since the extradition hearing itself. The lawyer further showed the doctor's report describing Bridgeman's daughter as a "protective" factor:
“Since her daughter has been living with her since April, there have been no more suicide attempts — if she is extradited, this protective factor is removed and the risk of suicide will increase.”
The essence of her argument for healthcare if extradited to Albania was that:
"In no circumstances is there sufficient information to show that the necessary measures are in place, particularly as she is a British citizen, does not speak Albanian and will not be assisted by prison staff who do not speak English."