Intentional arson is a criminal offense punishable by 5 to 20 years in prison in Albania. Yet, despite the fact that every summer flames have consumed thousands of hectares of forests and pastures, data processed by Faktoje shows that impunity has ‘bent’ the law. Over the past 10 years, 225 criminal proceedings have been recorded for the destruction of forests by fire, but only 3 arsonists have ended up behind bars. In the past decade, the total burned area of forests and pastures has reached 162,000 hectares.
Esmeralda Topi
This summer, the country is once again dealing with numerous fires from north to south. Despite the fact that intentional arson is a criminal offense punishable by 5 to 20 years in prison, data reviewed by Faktoje on environmental crimes reveals that law enforcement is faltering, leaving room for impunity.
In the last decade, environmental crime has sharply increased, but punishment remains lacking. Prime Minister Edi Rama has also acknowledged this issue, although he blames the justice system for the ongoing impunity.
‘With the changes we have made to the Penal Code in recent years, forest arson is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and among this crop of unpatriotic prosecutors, there are even some who, in past years, have gone as far as to not even initiate criminal proceedings against arsonists.’ – Edi Rama, July 2023.
The record of the past decade shows that the stricter penalties in the Penal Code for intentional arson or fires caused by negligence have not been effective. According to the General Prosecutor’s Office, there have been 225 criminal cases over the last ten years concerning the destruction of forests and woodland environments by fire.
Nevertheless, among the hundreds of people prosecuted, only four have faced court as defendants, and just three arsonists have been convicted and sentenced to prison.
On the other hand, from 2013 to 2023, there have been 76 people prosecuted for forest destruction due to negligence. Yet, even for this crime, the punishment is minimal, with only three individuals convicted.
Forestry engineer Abdulla Diku asserts that the impunity for arsonists is intentional.
‘Forests, like protected areas, have been under significant pressure for years, and today they are under more pressure than ever. They are burned, and they will continue to be burned for tourist resorts or to cover up other environmental crimes. No one will be caught or punished because no one punishes themselves for a crime committed with cold-blooded intent. Those with money can buy everything, including those who are supposed to enforce the law, he says.
‘How is it possible that environmental crime in Albania, especially forest crime, has the lowest level of accountability in the world? The answer is simple: who will punish the arsonist? Someone who doesn’t even know the first thing about the profession?’ the engineer continues.
846 fires have destroyed 162,000 hectares of forests and pastures
Over the past decade, more than 162,000 hectares of forests and pastures have been burned in Albania. Data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) reveal that from 2014 to early August of this year, the country has experienced 846 fire incidents.
Unlike last year, when only 35 fire outbreaks were recorded nationwide, the number of fires has doubled by the first week of August this year. Consequently, around 25,000 hectares of forests and pastures have been burned.
‘Next year will be just as bad, if not worse!’ warns engineer Abdulla Diku.
‘With more fires and more damage, without logistical equipment, support, and qualified forestry personnel, we’ll only be able to tally the damage from forest fires,’ he adds.
The data indicate that the worst year of the past decade was 2017, when approximately 42,000 hectares of forests and pastures were consumed by flames. Over the past 20 years, about 450,000 hectares of forests and pastures have been burned.
‘What has happened over these years?! From 200,000 hectares of burned forests, we now have around 450,000 hectares. Has anything changed or improved?! Not at all!’ the engineer concludes
