Albanian anti-corruption prosecutors are investigating a luxury resort project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as protests from citizens and environmental organizations over the development persist.

The project includes the uninhabited Adriatic island of Sazan and several hundred hectares of the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape, a sensitive coastal wetland area home to flamingos, seals and sea turtle nesting sites.

SPAK, Albania’s special anti-corruption prosecution office, confirmed Monday that it had opened an investigation into controversial changes in the area’s protected status and land ownership in 2024, which opened the door to tourism development. The prosecutor’s office did not respond to a request for further comment by the time of publication.

Kushner, who heads private equity firm Affinity Partners, has a separate real estate portfolio estimated at billions of dollars. He also serves as Trump’s special envoy for peace and is involved in diplomatic negotiations on Gaza, Iran and the war in Ukraine. Critics have raised questions about the overlap between his business empire and political roles.

In August 2024, Kushner unveiled plans for Affinity Partners to turn the site into a luxury resort and in early 2026 he visited the area with his wife, Ivanka. In a recent interview with POLITICO, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama confirmed talks were ongoing between the government and Kushner over the deal, which is set to include 10,000 hotel rooms.

Kushner and Affinity Partners did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the investigation.

Speaking to Albanian lawmakers on Monday, Rama denied that the project encroaches on a protected wildlife reserve and said that the final proposal has yet to be submitted and the environmental study is not complete.

SPAK was established with EU and U.S backing as a part of the country’s wide-ranging justice reform in 2019. It acts independently of the national judiciary and has investigated, prosecuted and convicted a number of high-level officials from both sides of the political spectrum. It is currently the most trusted institution in the country, according to several independent polls.

Violent protests

Citizen and environmental NGO-led protests began toward the end of May, when large barbed-wire-topped fences were erected by developers at the proposed site in Zvernec, southern Albania, preventing locals and tourists from accessing the beach.

On Sunday night, protestors, including citizens and various environmental organizations, assembled outside government offices and demanded an end to the project, protection of the area from development and even the resignation of the prime minister.

Another protest is scheduled in Tirana for Monday evening, and near the proposed site close to Vlora on June 6, as calls for action from civil society increase.

Footage emerged — after protests Saturday — of private security guards appearing to assault and then drag a protester along a cliff, while threatening other demonstrators who attempted to remove fences and halt construction.

Albanian authorities revoked the licenses of two private security companies following the incident, and one guard was arrested and detained in jail. Some 15 protestors have also been charged while the local police chief was stripped of his duties.

“I want to make Albania a country that [is] a destination to be envied in the region, and this project is part of this effort,” Rama said Monday.

Albania has set its sights on joining the EU by 2030 and has opened all negotiating chapters of the EU accession process. The bloc’s 27 heads of state will meet Friday in Montenegro to discuss enlargement of the EU with Western Balkan leaders, including Rama.

Kushner’s investment firm dropped a large-scale development in Serbia in 2025 following controversy over the project and investigations by local anti-corruption authorities.