Prosecutor Adnan Kosova, dismissed by Vetting in 2020, has won the case at the European Court of Human Rights.
In the decision announced on October 6, 2026, Strasbourg found that his dismissal was disproportionate and that Albania had violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Kosova had been a prosecutor since 1986 and had worked at the General Prosecutor's Office in Tirana since 1998. The case in Strasbourg was related to his transitional re-evaluation process.
Kosova was initially confirmed in office by the Independent Qualification Commission on 20 December 2018, after assessing three vetting criteria. The KPK assessed that he had consistently declared his assets and provided a convincing explanation for their legal origin.
The decision was appealed by the Public Commissioner, and on March 13, 2020, the Special Appellate Panel, by a majority of 3 to 2, overturned the decision and dismissed Kosovo from the task of the asset criterion.
The case concerned the amount of money gained from the sale of an apartment in Korça, the proceeds of which were used to purchase the family's apartment in Tirana. The 2002 contract stated 1 million lek, while Kosova had stated that the real sale price was 2.5 million lek. According to him, 1.5 million lek had been previously taken as a deposit.
In examining the case, the ECtHR found that the KPA had followed a rather formal approach, treating the sales contract as the only reliable evidence. Strasbourg notes that it had failed to take into account the fact that under domestic law the deposit agreement did not necessarily have to be in writing, as well as data on the market prices of property in Korça at that time.
The court also noted that the facts to be proven had occurred about 20 years ago, before the adoption of the 2003 law on asset declaration, which created additional difficulties in reconstructing documentary evidence.
In conclusion, the ECtHR found that the Albanian authorities had not provided “relevant and sufficient” reasons to justify the interference with Kosovo’s right to respect for private life and that his dismissal was disproportionate to the legitimate aims of the Vetting process.
The Court considered that, if Kosovo so requests, it would be appropriate for the Vetting procedure to be reopened and the case to be re-examined in accordance with the requirements of Article 8.
Albania must pay Adnan and Kosovo 6 thousand euros for non-pecuniary damage and 5 thousand euros for costs and expenses of the procedure.
