Labëria

Fredi Beleri was released from a prison in Albania on Monday, September 2, and on Monday, September 9, is expected in Brussels, where he will serve as a member of the European Parliament after being elected on the ticket of Greece's governing New Democracy in June.

A former ethnic Greek mayor of an Albanian town, whose imprisonment on vote-buying charges has strained Albanian-Greek ties, has been released on probation, his office and a lawyer said Monday.

Greek officials are pressing Albania to address concerns about the integrity of Sunday's local elections in the southwestern town of Himare.

Freddi Beleri, the town's previously elected mayor and a member of the ethnic Greek minority, was removed from office, convicted of vote-buying, and jailed. Both he and Greece have alleged that the case was politically motivated.

Edi Rama’s chosen candidate, Vangelis Tavos, won the elections in Himara to succeed Fredi Beleris, the elected mayor and now MEP who remains in prison.

The vote counting began shortly after midnight at the electoral commission center in Himara‘s football stadium to determine the successor of Fredi Beleris, the elected mayor and current MEP who remains in prison.

In alert within the Hellenic National Minority in view of the upcoming elections in the municipality of Himara is caused by the candidacy of Vangelis Tavos who is supported by Edi Rama after the removal of Beleri.

The Omonoia organization representing the ethnic Greek minority in southern Albania, and the parties of the Albanian opposition chose as their joint candidate in the repeat municipal elections of August 4 in Himare Petro Gjikuria, an ethnic Greek Albanian who lives and works in the United States.

The authorities in Albania proceeded with the removal of Fredi Beleris from his position as Mayor of Himara.

A Science Week on the Sarandaporos River starts this Friday, June 28, an international initiative to protect and preserve Aoos/Vjosa, the last large free-flowing river in Europe.

Greece's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Wednesday regarding an Albanian court's decision to reject an appeal by Fredi Beleri, an ethnic Greek elected mayor of Himara and more recently in the European Parliament, who will have to remain in prison until October.