Albanian Opposition Erupts in Fiery Protest Outside Parliament

Albanian opposition politicians set fire to chairs outside parliament to protest the imprisonment of a colleague. The incident took place during a regular session, and security quickly extinguished the flames. The protest followed the upholding of a prison sentence for opposition member Ervin Salianji, who claims the charges are politically motivated.

Albanian opposition politicians set fire to a pile of wooden chairs outside parliament on Monday in protest of the imprisonment of a colleague.

During the regular parliamentary session, opposition members carried chairs out from the chamber and ignited them on the steps of the building, which security guards quickly extinguished. On Friday, Albania's appeals court upheld a one-year prison sentence for Ervin Salianji, an opposition Democratic Party member, found guilty of making a 'false report' against the former interior minister. Salianji denies any wrongdoing, calling the trial politically motivated.

The parliament speaker, Elisa Spiropali of the ruling Socialist Party, condemned the act. 'Today's arson and extreme acts of violence have turned the Assembly into a crime scene,' she wrote on Facebook. Earlier this month, Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha, under house arrest since December, was indicted on corruption charges for actions during his tenure as prime minister. He denies the allegations.

The opposition has announced a major protest in Tirana on Oct. 7.

(With inputs from agencies.)