File photo.
The Special Court of Tirana will decide on Monday whether Fredi Beleri, the recently-elected ethnic Greek mayor of Himare in southern Albania, and his aide Panteli Kokavesi will be released or if their pretrial detention will continue, sources in the Albanian capital said on Friday.
On Thursday, Theocharis Lalakos, the secretary-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with Beleri to assess the conditions of his detention and his health status.
The outcome of Monday’s decision will determine the next steps regarding the official assumption of the mayor’s duties by Beleri.
The case is currently under the jurisdiction of the Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Structure (SPAK).
During a hearing of the undersecretary of state for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, on Thursday, Bob Menendez, the chairman of the US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, raised concerns about the timing of Beleri’s arrest just two days before the municipal elections. Menendez questioned whether Albania’s actions could hinder the country’s European perspective, as Athens has expressed its clear stance on the matter.
