Albania's Long Road to Justice

More than three decades after the fall of the communist regime, the legal, political, and societal reckoning with the past in Albania remains an unfinished project. This is particularly evident in the compensation process for former political prisoners and their families. Despite early legislative initiatives, the path towards material redress has been marked by structural shortcomings, financial constraints, and only limited political will. Providing compensation to these victims is not only a matter of historical justice but also a litmus test of Albania’s democratic maturity on its path towards the European Union.