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A prisoner serving a life sentence killed another inmate with a firearm and injured another in the high-security prison in Peqin, in the Elbasan district in central Albania, on Friday, announced the Albanian authorities.
The attack was carried out by Sokol Mjacaj, sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of two Czech tourists in the Theth area eight years ago, confirmed the Ministry of Justice of Albania.
The slain prisoner is Arben Lleshi, also serving a life sentence for murder in the United Kingdom.
In a brief statement to the media, the General Directorate of Prisons said that the incident occurred after a conflict between three inmates, and two of them had remained injured. However, Arben Lleshi later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
Albanian Minister of Justice, Ulsi Manja, told the media that the situation in the prison was now under control, without providing further details about the incident.
"The incident is serious, but there has been no threat to the lives of the staff and civilian personnel. The details of how the incident occurred and other details belong to the investigation. I do not want to compromise any element of the investigation," said Manja.
He announced that he had ordered an increase in the readiness level throughout the prison system.
Manja also informed that other inmates would be placed in a special regime, restricting visits with family members and outdoor hours.
The Minister of Justice stated that "soon there will be measures for the legal and administrative accountability of the prison administration where the incident occurred."
Earlier, the Ministry of Justice announced that Manja had signed the order for the inmate Sokol Mjacaj to be placed in a special regime.
"Inmates who compromise the security of the institution or continue criminal activity will face consequences and will be placed in a special regime," the decision stated.