
Marjana Koçeku, the Albanian parliamentarian who announced her departure from the socialist parliamentary group and became part of the protesting citizens of the Flamingo Revolution, stated on Wednesday that she has received life threats from criminal groups based in Shkodra.
MP Koçeku denounced the life threats in a Facebook post on Wednesday:
"This message is addressed to the Bajrajs of Shkodra. If my family is affected, even a hair, I will not leave you without destroying you, as long as I have life," Koçeku wrote on her Facebook profile.
A source told BIRN that Koçek has received explicit threats of ruthless violence, an indication of the criminalization of Albanian politics in recent years.
Asked by BIRN, the Director General of the State Police, Skënder Hitaj, said he had no prior information about the threat but promised to take immediate measures to protect Koçeku and her family.
Koçeku announced her withdrawal from the Socialist Party parliamentary group following protests in defense of nature demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. She placed the flamingo, the main logo of the protesters, on her official profile.
A number of socialist officials have pressured Koçek to hand over his mandate, a request that is not supported by law.
Koçek stated that he has no intention of handing over his mandate.