“We Will Persevere Until Justice Prevails” Mapping Criminalised Environmental Resistance in Albania

Focusing on the criminalisation of environmental resistance in Albania, particularly in the context of community activism, this chapter aims to identify shades, levels, and modalities of criminalisation in four different local communities, where the battles for protecting water, rivers, and forests, epitomise the clash between the aspirations of local communities and the interests of entrepreneurial entities, facilitated by state institutions. Despite the challenges and attempts of state apparatuses to silence their voices and neutralise their movements, our research shows that communities remain steadfast in their resistance, driven by the imperative to protect their vital resources, environmental commons, rights, and way of life against repression and exploitation. Through an analysis of resistance efforts, the chapter aims to amplify the voices of those fighting for justice and democratic freedoms in Albania.