Greek Foreign Affairs Minister George Gerapetritis welcomed the decision for the release of ethnic Greek and MEP Fredi Beleri from a jail in Tirana, calling it ‘a positive development’, during an interview on Monday to national broadcaster ERT3.
Asked during the interview about the issue, Gerapetritis said, “The release of elected European Parliament member Fredi Beleri following nearly 16 months of detention and jailing is a positive development.” Despite this, he added, the event “does not negate what has happened that led to his extended detention, and to what we already know about the rule of law and fundamental rules.”
“Greece will continue to concern itself with the Greek ethnic minority and highlight issues related to international law and the European acquis,” Gerapetritis underlined.
Beleri had been accused of bribing voters shortly after he was elected mayor of Himare, Albania in 2023, a charge he vehemently denied, and was due to be released from jail early in October. He was not allowed to be sworn in as mayor but was later elected MEP on Greece’s ruling New Democracy ballot.
Decision
A Tirana court on Monday decided to release Fredi Beleri from prison, accepting the relevant request by his defence. Beleri has served two-thirds of his prison sentence. The court’s decision was accompanied by a condition requiring that he communicate – without requiring his physical presence – at regular intervals with the police station.
SOURCE; ANA-MPA
