Labëria

With regard to the continued imprisonment of the ethnic Greek mayor of Himare, Fredi Beleri, Greek diplomatic sources have stressed that, as a candidate for EU membership, Albania must strictly respect his right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence.

An Albanian court has rejected the appeal by Fredi Beleri, the mayor-elect of Himare in southern Albania and an ethnic Greek, who was seeking release under restrictive measures.

On Friday, the judges ruled to uphold the pretrial detention measure.

The fragility of the Aoos/Vjosa River, which crosses the border between Greece and Albania and represents one of Europe's few remaining free-flowing waterways, has inspired a multimedia exhibition that seeks to explore the confluence of history, culture, economy, and environmental sustainability.

On the evening of March 11, 2023, the eve of the municipal elections in neighboring Albania, the then candidate for mayor of Himare, ethnic Greek Fredi Beleri, and his aide, Pantelis Kokavesis, were arrested by the police for allegedly attempting to buy votes. Almost two months later, and while he has already been elected mayor, Beleri remains in pre-trial detention.

Greece's ambassador to Albania has described the absence of the mayor-elect of the predominantly ethnic Greek city of Himare in southern Albania from the first meeting of its new council as a "great blow to the rule of law and the presumption of innocence."

The mayor-elect of the predominantly ethnic Greek city of Himare in southern Albania lashed out against the country's Prime Minister Edi Rama after authorities refused to grant him leave from pretrial detention to take his mayoral oath.

The Greek Foreign Ministry has slammed the refusal of Albanian authorities of the request by the detained elected mayor of Himare, Fredi Beleri, for special leave to attend and take the oath of office on Tuesday at the Municipal Council's first meeting. 

The swearing-in ceremony for the elected mayor of Himare in Albania, Fredi Beleri, is scheduled for Tuesday but cannot take place while he still remains in custody.

According to Albanian legislation a deputy mayor, appointed by a council of ministers controlled by the ruling Socialist Party, will have to take office.