Filing of the application in Imeraj v. Albania before the European Court of Human Rights

Mr Grégory Thuan Dit Dieudonné is representing Ms Elizabeta Imeraj, former Chief Public Prosecutor of Tirana in Albania, in proceedings currently pending before the European Court of Human Rights. The application was served on the Albanian Government on 3 September 2026, which means that the Court has determined that the complaints raised merit an adversarial examination on the merits.

The case concerns the exceptional ‘vetting’ process introduced in Albania to reassess judges and prosecutors as part of the reform of the judicial system. Ms Imeraj, who was initially confirmed in her post by the competent court of first instance, was subsequently dismissed on appeal following this procedure.

The application raises a novel issue under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention: that of the compatibility with the right to an independent and impartial tribunal of the participation of international observers in judicial deliberations, even though they had previously taken a position on the case. In particular, the Court invited the parties to explain the exact role of these observers, their possible presence during deliberations and the applicability of its case-law on the principles set out in the France and France judgments.

This case forms part of Mr Grégory Thuan Dit Dieudonné’s practice in the areas of European litigation, fair trial guarantees and representation before the European Court of Human Rights, particularly in cases involving significant institutional and international implications.