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Italian Professor Held in Albania After August Crash as Calls Grow for Alternative Measures

Italian diplomats with University of L'Aquila leaders escalate appeals for a shift from custody to less restrictive pretrial options.

Overview

  • Michele D'Angelo, a 44-year-old biology professor at the University of L'Aquila, remains in pretrial detention in the Fier penitentiary following an August 8 road collision near Kosovica on the Levan–Fier route.
  • Albanian authorities have accused him of violating traffic rules and omission of assistance after he left his vehicle following the impact.
  • The Italian foreign ministry says the embassy in Tirana and the consulate in Vlorë are closely following the case, conducting prison visits and providing consular assistance.
  • Deputy Luciano D'Alfonso submitted a parliamentary question on September 11 and has engaged Albanian authorities, including President Bajram Begaj, to seek alternatives to incarceration.
  • Defense lawyers argue D'Angelo moved away from his car in shock to reach safety, with some reports mentioning possible video evidence of the crash dynamics and describing the incident as not serious, claims that have not been officially confirmed.