Greece says Beleri’s conviction ‘heightens concerns’ over judicial objectivity 

The conviction by an Albanian court of the elected mayor of Himare “heightens the concerns raised about the objectivity of the process,” Greece’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, after an ethnic Greek was sentenced to two years in prison for buying votes.

The ministry said that Beleri’s presumption of innocence was jeopardized “due to external statements and actions that advocated conviction,” while the final sentence is “obviously disproportionate in relation to the extent of the alleged offense.” 

“The selective application of judicial decisions and the pre-empting of court rulings are not consistent with the principles of the rule of law. The Greek government will closely monitor the case and look forward to a fair and objective judgment in the appeal trial,” it said in a statement.

Furthermore, the decision not to consider the time spent in jail and keep him in prison prevents the elected mayor from assuming his duties, and keeps the defeated candidate in office, “despite the express court decision months ago that imposed his immediate removal.”