Gerapetritis raises Beleri case with Albanian PM

The detention of Fredi Beleri and the rejection of his request to be released so he can exercise his mayoral duties in the predominantly ethnic Greek city of Himare were among the issues raised by Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Tirana on Friday.

“This continued rejection constitutes an obvious deviation from the European rule of law and certainly from the presumption of innocence,” Gerapetritis told state broadcaster ERT at the conclusion of his visit to Tirana.

Gerapetritis was in the Albanian capital for a meeting of the Berlin Process, a platform for high-level cooperation between high level representatives of the Western Balkans and of nine EU countries.

During his stay in Tirana, the foreign minister met representatives of the Greek community as well as the archbishop of Albania.

Beleri was detained on May 12 on allegations of bribing voters, a charge that he denies, and elected mayor on May 14 of Himare.