European Commission breaks silence on Fredi Beleri’s arrest and imprisonment

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The European Commission has broken its silence on the arrest and imprisonment of the ethnic Greek newly elected Mayor of Himara, Fredi Beleri who was arrested for vote buying on May 12th, two days before municipal elections.

Having not commented on the situation so far, a Commission spokesperson told “Inside Albania” on Euronews that they cannot comment on ongoing investigations but they are aware of the situation.

“We continue to follow the developments. We do not comment on ongoing investigations and call on ensuring that due process is upheld,” they told “Inside Albania” host, Alice Taylor.

On the subject of the elections, they added, “cases of the misuse of public resources at both the national and local levels, allegations of pressure on voters and public sector workers, in particular, and of vote buying were of concern. All of these need to be duly investigated.”

The Commission added that political actors must commit to inclusive political dialogue and “address all outstanding recommendations from OSCE/ODIHR as well as from the Venice Commission.”

According to authorities, Fredi Beleri was arrested on the basis of wiretaps revealing a third person would give him a list of names of those who would vote for him if he paid them equivalent to 45 euros. In addition, it is alleged that Beleri promised to pay the intermediary around 300 euros, but that all transactions took place via an intermediary, rather than with Beleri himself.

Beleri denies all charges against him and says that his arrest is a politically motivated setup, a stance supported by Athens.

On Sunday, Beleri was transferred to a Tirana prison and on Monday a judge ruled he would remain in custody, despite appeals on medical grounds from his lawyer.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, currently in the middle of the electoral campaign, and Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias condemned the arrest and said that if Beleri is not released, they would potentially block Albania’s EU accession path.

The matter was also reported to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and at the Council of Foreign Affairs meeting in Brussel on Monday.

Prime Minister Edi Rama and Foreign Minister Olta Xhaçka have said the matter is not politically motivated and that it is imperative justice structures are allowed to continue their work without pressure and interference.

The latest disagreement takes place in the context of lukewarm relations between the two countries. In May 2022, Dendias threatened to withdraw support for Albania’s EU accession if it pursued the issue of Chameria.

Up to 30,000 Chams were forcibly removed from the region in northern Greece between 1913 and 1944, with hundreds massacred and 2,400 dying on their way to Albania. Chams want an apology for what they refer to as genocide, while incidents of Chams being refused entry to Greece have been reported.

Additionally, the issue of the delimitation of the continental shelf and maritime borders remains unresolved and has been sent to an international tribunal, with rumors swirling that Athens made similar threats over EU accession.

The Commission, however, did not comment on Athens threats to unilaterally block Albania’s membership bid to the bloc.

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