Rama: Greek interference in Albanian justice has no place in democracy, sovereignty

Greece’s threats to block Albania’s EU accession path over the arrest of Albanian ethnic Greek Mayor of Himare Fredi Beleri on suspicion of vote buying are a complete contradiction of the country’s sovereign right to exercise and implement its own European legislation, Prime Minister Edi Rama told ERT on Wednesday.

Two days before the 14 May 2023 local elections, Albanian citizen Fredi Beleri, an ethnic Greek mayoral candidate for the region of Himare, was arrested on suspicion of buying votes. He went on to win the election but has remained in prison awaiting trial, along with 48 other individuals suspected of similar crimes.

But the news did not sit well with Athens, which said Beleri was arrested because of his Greek ethnicity and the affair was politically motivated. The Greek government has since threatened to block Albania’s EU accession path, and funding, if Beleri is not released.

“Threats to obstruct the further path to the full integration of Albania and its full membership in the EU, while the government has no legal possibility to enter this process, to give permission to a detainee to go to take the oath or to swear in the office with a notary, is in complete inconsistency, either with the sovereign right of Albania to exercise and apply its own European legislation or even with European coexistence between countries that are democratic countries,” Rama said.

Albanian PM shocked over Greek elected officials protesting in Himare

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has sought to defuse recent tensions between Tirana and Athens while also condemning a protest led by Greek politicians in Himare, southern Albania, over the arrest of a Greek minority mayor for alleged vote buying.

He continued that one country cannot tell the other how it should work in a specific case, particularly when it comes to enforcing its own laws. Despite this, Rama said he has asked for a legal opinion on what to do when the 90-day post-election period ends, before which, Beleri should take the oath or lose the mandate.

“According to what the law says, the government must dismiss the mayor-elect who has not taken the oath and must appoint a caretaker until new elections. However, this is a very specific case and for this reason, I have asked the legal department to give an opinion,” he explained.

Rama said once the legal opinion has been presented, the government will decide which is the best option to pursue. However, he said, he would prefer to let the judicial process end “to know from justice, not Greece, whether this man is guilty or innocent.”

On 14 August, a protest was organised in Himare by the Greek minority organisation ‘Omonoia’, attended by the mayors of Athens and Thessaloniki, Kostas Bakoyannis and Konstantinos Zervas. A pre-recorded message from European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas was also played backing the Greek position.

They all said the case was politically motivated and threatened disruption to EU progression if he was not released.

The prime minister continued that Beleri must face justice equally like any other Albanian citizen. There are some 48 other individuals all arrested and held on similar charges, and Rama said Beleri’s Greek ethnicity does not exclude him.

“The gentleman is a citizen of the Republic of Albania, who must be equal before the law like every citizen of the Republic of Albania, but at the same time he must answer to the law like every citizen of the Republic of Albania,” Rama said, adding there cannot be one justice system for Albanians and one for Greeks.

Some 0.9% of the population in Albania identify as ethnic Greeks, although this is controversial in some political circles. While several communities in the south of the country speak Greek and some road signs appear in the Greek language, Albanian nationalists say they simply identify as Greek to get Greek (and de facto EU) passports and money from Athens, something the local communities vehemently deny.

In an earlier interview with Greek media, Rama said some Greeks use the Greek flag as a “credit card”.

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Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said that while the problem of property titles is a real issue, it affects the whole country from north to south and not just the Greek minority, some of which use the Greek flag as …

According to evidence leaked to Albanian media, wiretapping revealed Beleri was provided with a list of names of people who would vote for him if he gave them 5,000 Lek (€50).

Beleri maintains his innocence and has appealed against the arrest with no success.

When asked if his detention before trial is being deliberately prolonged to prevent him from being sworn in as mayor, Rama said the government does not interfere in the affairs of SPAK. He used as an example many former high-ranking officials of his political party who are either wanted or detained by the same institution.

“Today, my former deputy is being searched. There are four or five mayors of the Socialist Party who are in custody, awaiting trial for the same reason: The will of this justice to strike without looking at what colour it is, who it is close to or who it is hurting from the point of view politically or from a financial point of view,” Rama concluded.

(Alice Taylor | Exit.al)