Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj uses AI avatar to address public from detention

Erion Veliaj, the Mayor of Tirana, has addressed the public using an artificial intelligence-generated digital avatar while remaining in pretrial detention. Veliaj has been held in Durrës since February 2025 following an investigation by the Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Prosecution (SPAK) into allegations of corruption, money laundering, and concealment of assets.

In a four-minute video posted to his official Instagram account, the AI-generated version of Veliaj discusses local administration achievements, such as the renovation of schools and nurseries. The digital avatar also reiterated a campaign promise to provide free school meals, stating, “I will keep this promise even from the cell in which I have been locked.”

Despite his arrest, Veliaj remains the legal mayor of Tirana. A Constitutional Court ruling prevented his removal through extraordinary procedures, meaning he will officially hold the office until the municipal elections scheduled for the first half of 2027. Veliaj denies all 13 charges against him, describing his detention as being “taken hostage.”