Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the decision of the Vlora District Court regarding the case of Dionysis-Fredi Beleri, candidate for Mayor of Himare (13.05.2023)

Today’s decision of the Vlora District Court, if there is no irrefutable evidence, constitutes a scandal. The arrest of a mayoral candidate two days before the elections is not within the Rule of Law. The decision to detain the mayoral candidate in custody induces a full reversal of the rules of equality in the municipal elections in Himare, a significant centre of the Greek National Minority in Albania.  

Such a decision will also have repercussions on the European Union’s relations with Albania, as adherence to European rules and the principles of the Rule of Law is a prerequisite for this European path.  Decisions such as today’s, which violate these principles, mean that in practice Albania is not following the European path.