Erion Veliaj deepfake video — Oct 2026

Erion Veliaj, the mayor of Tirana, Albania, has begun using an AI-generated avatar to communicate with the public while remaining in pre-trial detention. Despite being incarcerated since February 2025 on corruption and money laundering charges, Veliaj continues to hold his official position and has vowed to lead the city from his jail cell.

What happened

In October 2026, Veliaj posted a video to Instagram featuring an AI-generated clone of himself standing before the Albanian and municipal flags. The avatar addressed citizens directly, announcing a new policy for free school meals for children in the capital. The video, which was explicitly labeled as AI-generated, featured the avatar stating, "I will keep this promise even from this cell where they have locked me up."

Veliaj, 46, has been held in a prison in Durrës for 20 months. Although a snap election was initially scheduled for November 2025 following his arrest, it was later canceled by a constitutional court ruling that determined he could not be dismissed outside of regular democratic processes. While Veliaj had previously delegated his mayoral duties to his deputy, Anula Ristani, he revoked that delegation in September 2026.

Facing 13 charges, including corruption and financial crimes, Veliaj has reportedly refused to attend hearings at the special court against corruption and organized crime. He is currently scheduled to appear in court on October 13, where he faces a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison. This incident marks the first time Veliaj has addressed the public since his initial arrest.