Jailed Greek Mayor Freed to Take Oath as EU Lawmaker

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Facts

• Fredi Beleri, a Greek-born Albanian politician recently elected member of the European Parliament (MEP), arrived in Athens on Monday, a day after he was granted a five-day leave from an Albanian prison.¹
• Beleri was temporarily freed to attend the opening session of the new European Parliament in Strasbourg after he won a Greek seat in the EU legislature as a member of the ruling New Democracy party.²
• The 52-year-old was arrested on vote-buying charges two days before becoming the mayor-elect of Himara in May 2023 and sentenced to two years in prison. Earlier this month, Albania's election commission revoked his mandate.³
• While European lawmakers have legal immunity from prosecution — even if allegations relate to crimes committed before their election — Beleri may not be exempted as he is serving time in a non-EU country.⁴
• Beleri's conviction has reportedly strained relations between Athens and Tirana, with Greece calling his two-year sentence 'disproportionate' and warning that it could hinder Albania's efforts to join the EU.⁵

Sources: ¹Tovima.Com, ²Associated Press, ³Balkan Insight, ⁴eKathimerini.com and ⁵www.euractiv.com.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Hellenic News of America. Albanian authorities have, at least, complied with their obligation to allow Beleri to attend to his responsibilities in the European Parliament. However, the state of the rule of law in that country remains a matter of concern as Beleri has long been deprived of his presumption of innocence.
• Narrative B, as provided by Pamfleti. Beleri has been a threat to Albania. He joined the Greek army three decades ago to attack an Albanian border post and kill two soldiers, and last year reappeared calling to Hellenize Himara in a Greece-funded campaign based on buying votes. However, allowing him to leave Albania is no sign of weakness but rather a civilized move.

Predictions