Open Society Foundation Albania and the 2014-2016 justice reform
Status: Contested. No court finding of wrongdoing was found. The funding amounts from OSFA's own documents are published; claims about drafting and political influence are disputed.
Summary
The Open Society Foundation for Albania (OSFA) says it financed and supported Albania's justice reform, including a 2015 earmark of USD 600,000 for an expert panel, public outreach, a website and conferences. OSFA's own 2017 Albanian statement says the foundation supported the process, with an agreement with the Albanian Parliament, and worked with the US embassy and European partners.
OSFA says the reform strategy was written by Albania's multiparty parliamentary commission, and that OSFA funded the commission and its technical team but had no input into the document (Goran Buldioski, 2017). Critical sources say differently. An exit.al article from August 2016, based on leaked DC Leaks emails, says OSFA drafted a strategy in 2013 and funded a 2014 expert assessment. That document was not verified here.
USAID funded a separate, larger justice project run by EWMI (about USD 9 million, 2016-2021). US critics, including Judicial Watch, have linked that project to Soros. USAID and OSFA both deny that OSFA received or administered USAID funds for Albania.
Key facts
- OSF fact sheet (2017): OSFA earmarked USD 600,000 in 2015 for the justice reform process, used for a 20-member expert panel, public outreach, opinion surveys, a dedicated website and conferences. Note: the English 2017 fact sheet says '20-strong' and the 2021 Albanian fact sheet says 60 experts; the figures differ.
- OSF fact sheet (2017): OSFA's 2016 project funding was USD 2.2 million.
- USAID Justice for All (2016-2021), implemented by EWMI, was described by Top Channel as a USD 9 million project launched in May 2016.
- Goran Buldioski (OSI Europe), 2017: OSFA funded the parliamentary commission and its technical team but did not write the strategy document.
- OSFA's 2017 statement: the foundation's support for the process was made with an agreement with the Albanian Parliament.
The record
Four lists kept apart on purpose: what is established, what is only alleged, what is still open, and what those concerned said.
What is proven (3)
Established by documents or official records, as stated in the research. A recorded charge or indictment proves only that the accusation was made.
- OSFA funded a 2015 USD 600,000 justice reform fund, according to OSF's own fact sheet.
- USAID funded the Justice for All project (about USD 9 million, 2016-2021), implemented by EWMI, according to EWMI's project page and Top Channel.
- OSFA funded BIRN Albania's anti-corruption programme, according to BIRN's donor page.
What is alleged (3)
Accusations, not findings. Those accused are presumed innocent.
- AllegationThat OSFA drafted the justice reform strategy (exit.al 2016, ECLJ, IFIMES).
- AllegationThat USAID money passed through OSFA or a Soros-linked group to the reform (Judicial Watch 2018).
- AllegationThat OSFA influenced political appointments or the reform's outcome.
Allegations and who made them (5)
Each line is an allegation as recorded, with the person or body that made it where the record names them.
- Allegationexit.al (August 2016, based on DC Leaks files): the reform was 'initiated and designed' by OSFA, which drafted a strategy in summer 2013, and OSFA funded a 2014 expert assessment.
- AllegationECLJ (advocacy group): OSFA-backed experts drafted the reform in 2015, and Open Society had a special relationship with the Rama government.
- AllegationIFIMES (partisan analysis, date not verified): OSF initiated, promoted and financed the reform, and OSF-linked associates drafted its legislation.
- AllegationJudicial Watch (2018): USD 9 million from USAID went through a Soros-linked group to a justice reform campaign in Albania.
- AllegationFormer President Ilir Meta (as reported by ECLJ): accused Soros of trying to capture the state. This is reported second-hand.
Open questions (4)
- Whether the DC Leaks OSFA '2014-2017 Strategy Plan' document is authentic, and whether its authorship matches the 2017 OSFA and Buldioski statements.
- Whether the ECHR nominee Darian Pavli had OSF employment and parliamentary adviser roles as claimed by ECLJ, and whether these are on any official record.
- The exact funding and any grants from OSFA to Albanian institutions or the parliamentary commission, with dates.
- Whether the USAID project ran any sub-grants to Albanian media or NGOs that were also OSFA grantees.
Responses (4)
Responses of the people and organisations concerned, as recorded.
- OSFA (Andi Dobrushi, January 2017, Balkanweb): the foundation is proud to have been at the forefront of civil society in the justice reform, and its support was agreed with the Albanian Parliament.
- OSFA (Tirana Times, undated): rejected claims of undue political influence; said the whole staff is Albanian.
- Open Society Initiative for Europe (Goran Buldioski, exit.al, March 2017): OSFA did not write the Strategic Document for Albanian Judicial Reform; Albania's multiparty commission did.
- USAID and OSFA (as reported by Fox News, 2018 and later): no USAID grants went to OSFA.
Figures
Money trail →OSFA 2016 project funding (all programmes)
No amount recorded
paymentSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: USD 2.2 million, per OSF 2017 fact sheet. The currency is USD, so the EUR field is left null.
Date: 2016 · Payer: Open Society Foundations · Payee: OSFA grantees and programmes
- Open Society Foundations in Albania: a brief history (fact sheet, English) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · 15 May 2017 · ngo · EN
OSFA total funding in Albania since 1992
No amount recorded
paymentSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: USD 131 million, per OSF 2017 fact sheet ('since 1992'). The ECLJ article gives the same USD 131 million for 1992-2020; the period differs, so this may be a reused figure. Do not treat as a verified 2020 total.
Date: 2017 · Payer: Open Society Foundations · Payee: Albania programmes
- Open Society Foundations in Albania: a brief history (fact sheet, English) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · 15 May 2017 · ngo · EN
- Influence of the Open Society Foundation: the Typical Case of Albania (opens in a new tab)ECLJ · unknown · ngo · EN
OSFA justice reform earmark (expert panel, outreach, website, conferences)
No amount recorded
paymentSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: USD 600,000, per OSF fact sheets (2017 English, 2021 Albanian). The 2017 sheet says 20 experts and the 2021 sheet says 60; spending breakdown not published.
Date: 2015 · Payer: Open Society Foundation for Albania · Payee: Justice reform expert panel, outreach, website, conferences
- Open Society Foundations in Albania: a brief history (fact sheet, English) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · 15 May 2017 · ngo · EN
- Open Society in Albania fact sheet (Albanian, 2021) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · Mar 2021 · ngo · SQ
OSFA total Albania budget, 2020
No amount recorded
paymentSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: USD 2 million for 2020 (Albania), per OSF 2021 fact sheet. Europe total for 2020: USD 92.9 million. The fact sheet gives no breakdown figures that could be read reliably.
Date: 2020 · Payer: Open Society Foundations · Payee: OSFA Albania programmes
- Open Society in Albania fact sheet (Albanian, 2021) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · Mar 2021 · ngo · SQ
USAID Justice for All project (implemented by EWMI)
No amount recorded
contractSource label: VerifiedStated definition: About USD 9 million (Top Channel, May 2016; Judicial Watch, 2018); Fox News gives USD 8.8 million for 2016. The period is 2016-2021. USAID denies that it gave grants to OSFA. This is not an OSFA financial record.
Date: 2016 · Payer: USAID · Payee: East-West Management Institute (implementer)
- USAID presents 9 million USD project for justice reform (opens in a new tab)Top Channel · May 2016 · journalism · EN
- USAID Justice for All (JFA), Albania (opens in a new tab)EWMI · 2016 · ngo · EN
- Obama State Dept used taxpayer dollars to fund George Soros group's political activities in Albania, watchdog group says (opens in a new tab)Fox News (reporting Judicial Watch) · Apr 2018 · journalism · EN
OSFA funding for BIRN Albania anti-corruption programme
No amount recorded
paymentSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: Amount not published in sources reviewed. BIRN was among the top four OSFA grant recipients in 2016 (OSF 2017 fact sheet).
Date: 2016 · Payer: Open Society Foundation for Albania · Payee: BIRN Albania
- The Open Society Foundation Albania (donor page) (opens in a new tab)BIRN · 5 Jun 2017 · journalism · EN
- Open Society Foundations in Albania: a brief history (fact sheet, English) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · 15 May 2017 · ngo · EN
OSF spending on schools and kindergartens in the 1990s
No amount recorded
paymentSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: More than USD 57 million, per OSF fact sheets, for 275 schools and kindergartens. OSF's claim; not independently checked.
Date: 1990 · Payer: Open Society Foundations · Payee: Albanian schools and kindergartens
- Open Society Foundations in Albania: a brief history (fact sheet, English) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · 15 May 2017 · ngo · EN
OSF total funding in Albania since 1992 (cumulative claim)
No amount recorded
paymentSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: USD 131 million, as printed in the OSF 2017 fact sheets (English and Albanian). Cumulative and self-reported by OSF, not an audited figure. Not a single payment.
Date: 1992-2017 · Payer: Open Society Foundations · Payee: Albania programmes (all)
- Open Society Foundations in Albania: a brief history (fact sheet, English) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · 15 May 2017 · ngo · EN
- Open Society Foundations in Albania (fact sheet, Albanian, 2017) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · 26 May 2017 · ngo · SQ
OSF spending on 275 schools and kindergartens, 1990s
No amount recorded
paymentSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: More than USD 57 million, as printed in the OSF 2017 and 2021 fact sheets. OSF's own claim; not independently checked here.
Date: 1990s · Payer: Open Society Foundations · Payee: Albanian schools and kindergartens
- Open Society Foundations in Albania: a brief history (fact sheet, English) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · 15 May 2017 · ngo · EN
- Open Society in Albania: 9 facts (fact sheet, English, March 2021) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · Mar 2021 · ngo · EN
OSF/OSFA project funding in Albania, 2016 (total of all grants)
No amount recorded
paymentSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: USD 2.2 million for 2016, as printed in the OSF 2017 fact sheets. Only the top four 2016 recipients are named (Res Publica, BIRN Albania, Children are the Future, Youth Roma and Egyptian Movement); no per-recipient amounts are printed.
Date: 2016 · Payer: Open Society Foundations · Payee: OSFA grantees (top four named)
- Open Society Foundations in Albania: a brief history (fact sheet, English) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · 15 May 2017 · ngo · EN
- Open Society Foundations in Albania (fact sheet, Albanian, 2017) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · 26 May 2017 · ngo · SQ
OSFA earmark for justice reform (expert panel, outreach, website, conferences), 2015
No amount recorded
paymentSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: USD 600,000, as printed in the OSF 2017 and 2021 fact sheets. Expert panel size printed as 20 (2017 English and 2021 English) and as 60 (2021 Albanian). No spending breakdown published in these sheets.
Date: 2015 · Payer: Open Society Foundation for Albania · Payee: Justice reform expert panel, outreach, website, conferences
- Open Society Foundations in Albania: a brief history (fact sheet, English) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · 15 May 2017 · ngo · EN
- Open Society in Albania: 9 facts (fact sheet, English, March 2021) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · Mar 2021 · ngo · EN
- Open Society in Albania: fact sheet (Albanian, March 2021) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · Mar 2021 · ngo · SQ
OSF budget for Albania, 2020 (budget, not a single payment)
No amount recorded
otherSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: USD 2 million total budget for Albania in 2020, as printed in the OSF March 2021 fact sheets (English and Albanian). Europe-wide 2020 budget USD 92.9 million on the same sheet. Budget, not a recorded payment.
Date: 2020 · Payer: Open Society Foundations · Payee: OSFA Albania programmes
- Open Society in Albania: 9 facts (fact sheet, English, March 2021) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · Mar 2021 · ngo · EN
- Open Society in Albania: fact sheet (Albanian, March 2021) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · Mar 2021 · ngo · SQ
OSFA funds BIRN Albania anti-corruption programme
No amount recorded
paymentSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: Amount not published. BIRN's donor page gives no amount; the OSF 2017 fact sheet lists BIRN Albania among the top four 2016 recipients without a figure.
Date: 2016-2017 · Payer: Open Society Foundation for Albania · Payee: BIRN Albania
- The Open Society Foundation Albania (BIRN donor page) (opens in a new tab)BIRN (Balkan Investigative Reporting Network) · 5 Jun 2017 · journalism · EN
- Open Society Foundations in Albania: a brief history (fact sheet, English) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · 15 May 2017 · ngo · EN
OSFA listed as a main donor to the Albanian Helsinki Committee
No amount recorded
paymentSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: Amount not published. The AHC page lists OSFA among main donors 'in the last three years', without amounts or years per donor.
Date: undated (last three years per page) · Payer: Open Society Foundation Albania (OSFA) · Payee: Albanian Helsinki Committee
- Albanian Helsinki Committee: Partners, Network and Donors (opens in a new tab)Albanian Helsinki Committee · undated · ngo · EN
OSF funds supported Res Publica's Gerdec compensation work
No amount recorded
paymentSource label: Officially reportedStated definition: Amount not published. The 2017 and 2021 fact sheets say OSF funds supported Res Publica's efforts to win compensation for families of the 2008 Gerdec ammunition factory explosions (26 killed). No amount given.
Date: 2017 (fact sheet date; work period not stated) · Payer: Open Society Foundations · Payee: Res Publica Center
- Open Society Foundations in Albania: a brief history (fact sheet, English) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · 15 May 2017 · ngo · EN
- Open Society in Albania: 9 facts (fact sheet, English, March 2021) (opens in a new tab)Open Society Foundations · Mar 2021 · ngo · EN
Timeline
Full timeline →Other
OSFA begins work in Albania
OSF's own fact sheets say the Open Society Foundation for Albania began its work in 1992, after the fall of the communist regime. Another source gives 1994; OSF materials do not support that date. The exact registration date was not found.
Government
OSFA earmarks USD 600,000 for justice reform
OSF's fact sheets say the foundation earmarked USD 600,000 in 2015 to support the justice reform process: a panel of experts, public outreach, a website and conferences. The 2017 English sheet says 20 experts; the 2021 Albanian sheet says 60 experts. The month of the earmark is not stated.
International
USAID Justice for All project launched (USD 9 million)
Top Channel reports a May 2016 event presenting a USD 9 million USAID justice reform project. EWMI's project page gives the programme as 2016-2021 and names EWMI as the implementer.
Media
exit.al publishes claims from leaked DC Leaks files about OSFA strategy
exit.al published an article based on DC Leaks files, claiming the justice reform was initiated and designed by OSFA, which drafted a strategy in summer 2013. The article links to a 2014-2017 OSFA strategy plan on Scribd. The document was not verified.
Media
Andi Dobrushi defends OSFA's role in justice reform
In an interview with Balkanweb, Andi Dobrushi said OSFA staff were proud to be part of the justice reform, that the foundation financially supported cooperation with the US embassy and European partners, and that its support was agreed with the Albanian Parliament. He described the foundation's support for legal representation of victims of the 21 January events and for the Gërdec victims' families as 'modest assistance'.
International
Goran Buldioski rebuts senators' claims on Open Society in Albania
Goran Buldioski (OSI Europe) replied to a letter from six US senators about Open Society in Albania. He wrote that OSFA has never accepted or administered USAID funding, that Albania's multiparty commission wrote the judicial reform strategy, and that OSFA funded the commission and its technical team.
International
Judicial Watch claims USAID money went to Soros-linked Albanian campaign
Judicial Watch, a US watchdog, published a FOIA-based claim that USAID gave about USD 9 million (Fox News reported USD 8.8 million) in 2016 to a 'Justice for All' campaign run by EWMI, which it linked to Soros. The US agencies disputed the characterisation, and USAID said it made no grants to OSFA.
Parliament
Artur Metani elected High Justice Inspector
Parliament elected Artur Metani High Justice Inspector in January 2020, after he became State Attorney in 2018. The opposition Democratic Party objected. OSF employment was not confirmed for him. Pavli's OSF roles (ECLJ) are a separate claim.
Sources for this record
Every source the research cites for this record, grouped by its source label. 14 sources.
Source label: VerifiedVerified · 7 sources
- Publisher
- Open Society Foundations
- Date
- 15 May 2017
- Publisher
- exit.al
- Date
- 29 Mar 2017
- Publisher
- EWMI
- Date
- 2016
- Publisher
- Top Channel
- Date
- May 2016
- Publisher
- Balkanweb
- Date
- 25 Jan 2017
- Publisher
- Fox News (reporting Judicial Watch)
- Date
- Apr 2018
- Publisher
- exit.al
- Date
- Jan 2020
Source label: Officially reportedOfficially reported · 6 sources
- Publisher
- ECLJ
- Date
- unknown
- Publisher
- Open Society Foundations
- Date
- Mar 2021
- Publisher
- BIRN
- Date
- 5 Jun 2017
- Publisher
- Open Society Foundations
- Date
- 26 May 2017
- Publisher
- Open Society Foundations
- Date
- Mar 2021
- Publisher
- Albanian Helsinki Committee
- Date
- undated
Source label: Under investigationUnder investigation · 1 source
- Publisher
- exit.al
- Date
- 22 Aug 2016