Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Gerapetritis has called on the authorities of Albania to respect the rule of law in regards to the decision of the Supreme Court of Tirana to uphold the imprisonment of Fredi Beleri, whose appeal for release was rejected.
In a statement addressing the situation, Gerapetritis notes that Beleri’s imprisonment deprives him of undertaking the duties assigned to him by the citizens of Himara, as he is not able to take the oath in front of the Municipal Council.
“This is a negative development, which constitutes a clear violation of the fundamental principles of the rule of law, which Albania must respect and strictly adhere to if it wants to become a member of the European family,” Gerapetritis states.
“We call on the Albanian government to ensure immediately, legislatively or administratively, the immediate swearing-in of Mr. [Fredi] Beleri, inside or outside prison. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to closely monitor the development of the case and will raise this issue in all international forums,” the statement concludes.
On July 25, the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the security measure of “arrest in prison” for Fredi Beleri, elected mayor of the Municipality of Himara.
Beleri’s arrest on accusations of vote-buying just two days before the local elections on May 14, did not stop him from managing to secure a narrow victory against the Socialist candidate, Jorgo Goro, who had previously served as Himara’s mayor for two terms. Representing the Human Rights Union Party, Greek expatriate Fredi Beleri was nominated by the opposition coalition “Together We Win”, consisting of the Freedom Party led by former President Ilir Meta and the Democratic group under the guidance of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
The arrest and subsequent legal developments have not only drawn sharp reactions within Albania but have also prompted strong responses from authorities in Greece. While Albanian authorities assert that Beleri’s case is solely a matter of the justice system, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned of souring relations with Albania over the case, threatening to block the country’s EU accession path if Beleri is not released.
In the aftermath of his arrest, Beleri sought special permission to attend the Municipal Council’s inauguration meeting to take the oath of office, but this request was also denied. Legally, Beleri’s situation remains precarious, as the law stipulates that a mayor’s mandate ends when he “refuses to take the oath”.
