The Constitutional Court has decided to reject the request of Gjon Shkambi, leaving in force the decision of the High Court and his imprisonment. Shkambi claimed violation of due process and exceeding reasonable trial deadlines, but the constitutional body did not find these claims well-founded.
This case carries a heavy public weight, as Gjon Shkambi is the person who set the Court of Appeals in motion for a property conflict in Shkodra, which culminated in the shocking murder of Judge Astrit Kalaja inside the courtroom.
The serious incident occurred on October 6, 2025, at around 3:35 p.m., at the premises of the Court of Appeal in Tirana.
According to the dynamics revealed by the police and witnesses, Gjon Shkambi was the person who was arguing fiercely with Judge Kalaja at the moment the verdict was announced. It is reported that he addressed the magistrate with the words: "I confirm what the whole of Shkodra has said about you...", just a few seconds before the crime.
At this moment, his nephew, Elvis Shkambi (30 years old), who was accompanying his uncle to the hearing, pulled out a pistol and shot the judge three times, leaving him dead.
The opposing parties in the trial, father and son, Rakip and Ervis Kurtaj, were also injured in the shooting.
Gjon Shkambi has repeatedly attempted to request his release or the easing of the security measure, claiming that he was unaware of his nephew's plan. However, the prosecution has raised suspicions that he played a driving role, considering the fact that his nephew accompanied him as "support" to a hearing where he was expected to lose the trial for the property of the former Reserve School in Shkodra.
With the latest decision of the Constitutional Court, Shkambi fails in his next attempt to overturn the decisions of the regular courts, while the process against him and his nephew continues.
