Albania Probes Kushner-Linked Resort Site Changes After Violent Protests
Albania's special anti-corruption prosecution, SPAK, opened a probe into changes at the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape tied to a Jared Kushner-linked resort project.[1]
The move follows violent protests that culminated on Sunday, May 31, 2026, after barbed-wire fences were erected and beach access near Zvërnec was blocked.[1]
Kushner's firm Affinity Partners has been in talks with the Albanian government on a project expected to include about 10,000 hotel rooms and villas near Zvërnec.[1] Video from Sunday showed private security guards appearing to assault and drag a demonstrator along a cliff, prompting authorities to revoke the licenses of two private security firms.[1] Around 15 protesters were charged and the local police chief was removed from his post in the unrest's immediate aftermath.[1]
Protests began in May 2026 after barbed-wire fences were erected at the site, a move residents said blocked a public beach used by locals and tourists.[1] SPAK's probe focuses on whether changes to the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape were lawful and whether officials or companies broke environmental or corruption laws.[1]
The probe and protests have added fresh political and legal scrutiny to Kushner's overseas development plans in Albania.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- SPAK, Albania's special anti-corruption prosecution office, has opened a probe into changes to the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape where a Jared Kushner-linked resort is planned.
- Kushner's firm Affinity Partners has been in talks with the Albanian government on a project expected to include about 10,000 hotel rooms and villas near Zvërnec.
- Protests started in May 2026 after barbed-wire fences were erected at the site, blocking beach access for locals and tourists.
- On Sunday, May 31, 2026, protesters gathered outside government offices, and video showed private security guards appearing to assault and drag a demonstrator along a cliff.
- Following the incident, Albanian authorities revoked the licenses of two private security firms, charged around 15 protesters, and removed the local police chief from his post.
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