Through Ivi Kaso, Berisha delivers a stark warning to his party

During an interview on his family-owned television channel, Sali Berisha, speaking from his apartment where he remains under house arrest, launched a harsh attack on Ivi Kaso, a prominent official in his party who also oversees the Democratic Party in a key region in Albania.

Using the pretext of Cim Peka, the journalist and host known for making unverified claims, Berisha treated as fact a rumor that Kaso allegedly supported SPAK (Albania’s Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime). This claim was, in reality, something Peka had merely heard but could not substantiate.

The truth is that Ivi Kaso, an experienced attorney, defended Berisha by arguing that his house arrest resulted from Berisha’s refusal to comply with the initial security measure of mandatory court appearances. Kaso also pointed out that, in their view, SPAK’s decision was unconstitutional. Even if Kaso had not explained this, the change in Berisha’s security measure—from mandatory appearances to house arrest—already clarifies the issue.

Berisha’s attack on Kaso, however, wasn’t just a personal vendetta. It was a calculated move to send a message to other Democratic Party officials: anyone who dares to deviate from Berisha’s narrative risks public humiliation. Kaso’s only "offense" was his refusal to echo Berisha’s increasingly absurd claims. Repeating falsehoods has become Berisha’s primary strategy for keeping his base united, and anyone who applies logic or critical thinking about his arrest is quickly branded an enemy.

It is widely understood that Berisha intentionally sought house arrest to craft a political narrative portraying himself as a victim of injustice. Ironically, if the judiciary were truly political, as Berisha claims, it could easily revoke his house arrest and let him roam free. Doing so would expose his diminishing support, forcing him to confront the reality that he no longer holds the loyalty of his followers. In the end, Berisha’s biggest adversary isn’t the court—it’s his own declining relevance.

The article initially appeared in Albanian titled: "Mesazhi I Berishës, nga 'gjyqi' i sajuar kundër Ivi Kasos"