Dozens of Instagram accounts belonging to Albanian opposition figures, activists, and pages covering the ongoing anti-government protests were reportedly suspended on Wednesday, raising concerns over a possible coordinated reporting campaign.
Among the accounts affected were those of Mundësia party leader and MP Agron Shehaj and IT expert and activist Gent Progni.
Shehaj was among the first to announce that his account had been disabled. Other reported suspensions involved pages that have regularly shared footage and information from the protests, including Mashurkbazike5g, Antidroga07, Thatsjurgen, and Bankafundit.
Initial media reports put the number of affected accounts at 23. Independent MP Marjana Koçeku later claimed that more than 200 Instagram pages had been closed.
“A wave of online attacks has begun, particularly since yesterday, against several opposition figures with political and public influence,” Koçeku wrote on social media.
She said the affected accounts had published content from the protests and accused the Albanian government of seeking to undermine freedom of expression. Koçeku added that she had reported the matter to European Union institutions.
However, no evidence has yet emerged establishing that the Albanian authorities were involved in the suspensions. It also remains unclear whether Instagram disabled the accounts for alleged violations of its rules, following mass reports by other users, or because of another technical or security-related issue.
The incident comes as Albania’s anti-government civic protests enter their 96th day. Demonstrators are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama and the departure of his government.
Social media has played a central role in documenting and organizing the protests, with activists using Instagram and other platforms to publish footage, announce gatherings, and circulate information outside traditional media channels.
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