The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticizes the Albanian judiciary for the conviction of the elected Mayor of Heimara Freddy Beleris.
He speaks of the shaking of “the presumption of innocence due to external statements and actions that advocated conviction” and “the final sentence is clearly disproportionate to the extent of the alleged offense”.
The announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
“Today’s conviction by an Albanian court against the elected mayor of Heimarra Fredy Beleris heightens the concerns raised about the objectivity of the process.
And this is due to the shaking of the presumption of innocence due to external statements and actions that advocated conviction and given that the final sentence is obviously disproportionate in relation to the extent of the alleged offense. And the measurement of the penalty, so that he is not released from prison, prevents the elected mayor from assuming his duties, even today, and keeps the defeated candidate in the mayoralty, despite the express court decision months ago that imposed his immediate removal.
The selective application of judicial decisions and the discounting of judicial judgments are not consistent with the principles of the rule of law. The Greek government will closely monitor the case and looks forward to a fair and objective judgment at the second level of jurisdiction.”
Lavros Antonis Samaras
“Condemning Beleris not only provokes Greece, but shows contempt for the rules that govern the EU. Therefore, today’s Albania of Rama has no place in Europe”, says the former Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, in a written statement.
Read also: Albania: Freddy Beleris guilty – Two years in prison
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