Damiano Toshi of the "5 Shops" gang, who killed two "Skënderbeu" basketball players, may be released from prison

2026-07-08 19:16:22Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Damiano Toshi

Damiano Toshi, one of the well-known names of the "5 Shops" gang, has escaped life imprisonment and is expected to leave the cell after the latest decision of the Elbasan Court.

The court announced the final sentence against Toshi, sentencing him to 25 years in prison. The sentence reduction came after a request for a summary trial was accepted, which removed the life sentence previously given.

Toshi was found guilty of the murder of two basketball players from the "Skënderbeg" team, Sokol Jahollari and Rafael Rizani, as well as the wounding of Julian Beckë. The crime occurred on September 3, 2004 near the Sports Palace in Korça and is considered one of the most serious criminal events of that period.

The Elbasan Court's decision came after a retrial of the case, ordered by the Supreme Court. The latter had overturned the decision sentencing Toshi to life imprisonment and returned the file for review from the beginning.

But the case is not expected to end there. The prosecution has warned that it will appeal the decision, arguing that the summary trial should not have been granted for the murder charge and, therefore, the sentence should not have been reduced.

Meanwhile, authorities are calculating the time Damiano Toshi has served in prison. If it turns out that he has served his new 25-year sentence, he is expected to be released from prison, giving an unexpected twist to a case that for more than two decades had been identified with the maximum penalty of Albanian justice.


Video