Beleri oath request ruling next week

The decision on the request by incarcerated ethnic Greek Fredi Beleri to be sworn as mayor of Himare in southern Albania will be made by the neighboring country's Special Court on December 4, "after six months of procrastination," he told Skai Radio in an interview on Tuesday.

Beleri said that he is a victim of a witch hunt by the Albanian government, while he denounced the fact that the rule of law in Albania is not functioning.

"The opposition cannot exercise its duties in parliament, there is a witch hunt on the part of the [Albanian] government, anyone who is not liked by [Prime Minister Edi] Rama is persecuted at any time. There is no equality," he stressed. 

Beleri was arrested in May on voting fraud charges just before the municipal election in Himare, which he won.

"The law is clear. When someone has not been convicted and the verdict is not...