On 24 April 2025, in the lead-up to the parliamentary elections due on 11 May, the OSCE Presence in Albania, in co-operation with the General Directorate of Prisons, organized a comprehensive training seminar for about 45 senior prison staff on prisoners’ right to vote. The purpose of this training was to support prison authorities to ensure the protection and facilitation of prisoners’ voting rights, in line with national laws and international standards.
The programme covered a broad range of issues, from the legal framework governing prisoners’ voting rights, practical measures for facilitating voting in prisons to best practices and lessons learned from previous elections. Participants engaged in interactive sessions on facilitating electoral participation among eligible incarcerated individuals. The training also addressed logistical and legal challenges faced by prison administration during elections and provided practical guidance on how to ensure transparency, accessibility and security in the voting process.
“Today, we focus on a cornerstone of democracy: the right to vote. In Albania, the Constitution and Electoral Code provide this right to all citizens, including incarcerated individuals, unless specifically deprived by a court ruling. It is, therefore, your responsibility, both legally and ethically, to ensure that this right is respected and facilitated,” said Ambassador Michel Tarran, the Head of the OSCE Presence.
General Director of Prisons Klevis Qose said that a total of 3,027 people in detention are expected to exercise their constitutional right to vote in 21 detention facilities. “The electoral process in penitentiary institutions will be carried out in full compliance with the constitutional and international standards, also thanks to the co-operation with the OSCE. I ask for maximum professionalism from all employees involved in this process. Above all, it must be ensured that the will of each individual is expressed freely and without any kind of influence,” he said.
This training is part of the OSCE Presence’s support to law enforcement authorities ahead of the 11 May elections. Recently, the Presence facilitated capacity building for the State Police, donated IT equipment to SPAK to support mobile investigation teams, trained prosecutors in investigating electoral crimes and convened a roundtable where civil society organizations discussed their findings and recommendations in tackling electoral crimes with the relevant state institutions.
This event also builds upon the Presence’s support to prison reform in Albania over the years and its active involvement in promoting the rights of people in detention. Apart from the special regime, the Presence has contributed to the achievements in the penitentiary system by offering legislative support to the legal package on the penitentiary system, working on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization that Lead to Terrorism in prisons and probation settings and establishing a Master’s Programme in Criminology at Tirana University. The OSCE Presence will continue to provide support to the penitentiary reform in Albania.