Ethnic Greek imprisoned in Albania hopes his election to European Parliament will boost rule of law

An Albanian prison cell wouldn't rank high among choice spots to run a successful campaign for election to the European Parliament.

Fredi Beleri, a member of Albania's ethnic Greek minority, had no choice. Last year, he was elected mayor of a town in southern Albania - a candidate to join the European Union - but lost his office and is now serving a two-year sentence for vote-buying in that election.

The case soured relations between the Balkan neighbors and led to the dual Greek-Albanian citizen's election on June 9 to represent EU member Greece in the European Parliament. He ran on the ticket of Greece's governing center-right party.

"I know (my election) will help put a spotlight on a major problem Albania faces, which is the rule of law," Beleri told The Associated Press in a phone interview Thursday from prison.

"Here, the judiciary is the long arm...