Villagers' Letter Challenges Kushner-Backed Resort Claims of Ignorance

Villagers from Zvërnec on Albania’s Sazan peninsula wrote to Jared Kushner’s development firm nearly two years ago, pleading to halt a $1.4 billion luxury resort they claim sits on land owned by the community. Their letter outlined decades-long legal disputes involving Artur Shehu, a suspected gangster accused of forging Ottoman-era land records and later charged with money laundering and drug-trafficking. Sazan Real Estate nevertheless finalized a deal with Shehu, after which Albanian prosecutors brought the criminal accusations.

The developer has maintained it was unaware of any dispute, a claim now undermined by the villagers’ correspondence. Demonstrations erupted when bulldozers and barbed-wire appeared on the beaches, and a video showed private security punching a resident. Environmental NGOs, led by the Protection and Preservation of the Natural Environment in Albania, have also condemned the plan, citing damage to the untouched island. The controversy has drawn international attention, including comments from pop star Dua Lipa and criticism from opposition leader Sali Berisha over alleged political influence.