Alban Elezi

Alban Elezi was born on 25 August 1977 in Siney, Albania, where he resided. He was the uncle of Elezi Elvis and the brother-in-law of Idajet Balliu, an Albanian who joined the Islamic State and was killed in Syria in August 2014.

Alban was investigated under article 270 quater of the Italian penal code for alleged involvement in recruitment for terrorism. He was considered by investigators as someone capable of facilitating the travel of potential ISIS fighters from Albania to Syria. The accusations centered on his supposed role in providing logistical support to recruits, working together with his nephew Elvis and with Caca Zamir.

Several elements pointed to his presence in radical circles. There were phone contacts between him and El Abboubi Anas in 2013 and 2014, linked to El Abboubi’s attempt to reach Albania as a step toward Syria. Investigators also connected him to the recruitment of Idajet Balliu, his brother-in-law, who died in combat. Intercepted conversations between Alban and Elvis showed that Elvis often asked him for help to send potential recruits through Albania. In one such exchange in March 2014, Alban replied that “from here in Albania it is impossible,” suggesting limited capacity to deliver on these requests. He was also reported to have maintained contact with Imam Mazllam Mazllami, who was implicated in other recruitment activities. In 2014 he drove Hasan Balliu, brother of Idajet, to Tirana airport, from where Hasan departed for Istanbul and then Syria.

On 9 May 2015 Alban was placed in pre-trial detention in Italy. The Court of Review of Brescia annulled the measure on 7 July 2015, and on 12 July 2015 he was expelled from Italian territory. Since the expulsion occurred before the formal order to stand trial, the proceedings against him could not continue, and his case was archived.

Alban emerges as a figure embedded in Albanian networks, the so-called “Balkan Connections”, linked to radical Islam, described as a knowledgeable and respected religious man. Although the investigations portrayed him as a potential logistical facilitator for jihadist recruitment, there was no conclusive proof that he directly recruited anyone. His significance lay more in his position within a family and community framework that connected Italian and Albanian sympathizers to the Syrian conflict, even if his role could not be legally substantiated.