Crisis over ethnic Greek candidate’s arrest
A crisis in relations between Athens and Tirana has been sparked by the arrest of the candidate for mayor of Himara, Greek expatriate Dionysis-Fredi Beleri, two days before the municipal elections in the neighboring country.
The arrest is seen in Athens as part of internal, pre-election ploys by the government of Edi Rama. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sent a message to Tirana on Friday that if Albania wants to move closer to the European Union, it must ensure free municipal elections and immediately release those it has imprisoned.
Taking to social media, Mitsotakis emphasized the firm stance of Greece and the EU, stating, “Albania needs to understand that Greece and the EU will not accept any compromises on the rule of law and the protection of the rights of the ethnic Greek minority.” He also said that he had reached out to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen regarding the detention of Beleri.
During his visit to the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos, the Greek premier reiterated his position, saying that “if Albania wants to come closer to the European Union, it has an obligation to ensure free and fair local elections and to immediately release those who have been imprisoned, so that they can participate in the electoral process.”
Beleri was apprehended by Albanian police special forces shortly after midnight on charges of vote-buying.
