Albania justice ministry allows jailed politician temporary release to take oath at European Parliament in France News
Image by Erich Westendarp from Pixabay
Albania justice ministry allows jailed politician temporary release to take oath at European Parliament in France

Albania’s Ministry of Justice allowed Monday the temporary release of jailed politician Fredi Beleri to travel to Strasbourg, France and take oath as a member of the European Parliament after he won a seat in the European elections held in June.

Local media reported that Albania’s Ministry of Justice and General Directorate of Prisons granted Beleri a five-day temporary leave from prison to attend the EU’s Parliament inaugural session and take up his seat as an EU lawmaker. However, Albanian authorities told Beleri that he must contact a police officer every day at 2:00 PM local time in France.

Local media reported Beleri leaving the prison on Monday to fly to Athens, Greece and then to Strasbourg. Speaking to local reporters, he stated that he would appeal the court’s decision sentencing him to prison in Strasbourg.

Beleri is an ethnic Greek politician who is currently serving a two-year sentence for vote-buying during the 2023 local elections. Representing the ethnic Greek community in Albania, Beleri was elected mayor of the Albanian town Himara in 2023 but was arrested two days before the announcement of the elections’ results. In March 2024, Albania’s Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime found him guilty of buying votes and sentenced him to two years in prison. Furthermore, the Central Election Commission of Albania (CEC) removed him from his position as mayor earlier this month following his imprisonment.

During the last European elections, Beleri won a seat in the European parliament as a candidate for the New Democracy Party, the party of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, despite being imprisoned.

In Athens and before heading to France, Beleri met with Mitsotakis. During the meeting, he said that he perceives the rule of law and the right to elect and be elected as not self-evident in Albania. Beleri said that he hoped Albania would become closer as a state.

The Greek Prime Minister congratulated the newly elected member of the EU parliament and added that he also stands with the people of the Greek national minority. Additionally, he asserted that he wants Albania to progress on such issues while conforming to its European commitments.

Fredi Beleri will take the oath as a member of the European Parliament on Tuesday.

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