Four Nigrita prison guards bailed, protests held in Albania

An Albanian man holds a placard that reads 'Kudret Kume was beaten by Greek police' during a protest in front of the Albanian Interior Ministry in Tirana, Albania, Monday.

Four guards from Nigrita Prison in northern Greece were bailed Monday after giving depositions in connection to the torture of Albanian inmate Ilie Kareli – aka Kudret Kume – who later died.

The four were banned from leaving the country and ordered to visit the local police precinct once a month. Another two guards are to face a prosecutor in Serres Wednesday. Six of a total 15 suspects have so far been remanded in custody over the case.

Kareli, 42, died in solitary confinement a few hours after being transferred to Nigrita from Malandrino jail, where he had stabbed a prison officer to death.

Several rallies have been held in Albania over the past few days in protest at his death. On Saturday, Albanian police clashed with members of the nationalist Red and Black Alliance who planned to march to the Greek Embassy after holding a demo in the center of Tirana.

Alliance leader Kreshnik Spahiu accused Albania Prime Minister Edi Rama of not doing enough to protect Albanians in Greece.