'Beleri' crisis between Athens, Tirana
The arrest of Greek-born Dhionisios Alfred Beleri, who was elected mayor of Himare in southern Albania, on charges of 'bribery' has caused a crisis between Athens and Tirana.
Dhionisios Alfred Beleri, who ran for mayor of the Greek minority town of Himare in southern Albania in the local elections held in May, was arrested shortly before the elections on charges of 'buying votes with money and bribery'.
According to Haber Global, while Beleri finished first in the elections, Edi Rama's government decided to keep Beleri in detention during the investigation.
Beleri's detention has turned into a crisis between the two countries. Athens, which has reacted to Albania at all levels, recently announced that Beleri's situation could be a condition for the European Union accession negotiations.
According to Greece, the reason for Beleri's arrest is his Greek ethnic identity.
People of Greek origin in Albania are recognised as a 'national minority' at the Constitutional level.
The Greek minority also has parties representing them.
The Athens administration sees the arrest of the elected mayor as a repression against the Greek minority.
ATHENS' THREE CONDITIONS
The latest developments regarding the tension were reported in the online edition of the Greek e-Kathimerini. According to the information, Greece's veto pressure on Albania's EU accession negotiations may yield results.
According to government sources quoted in the Greek press, Athens has put forward three conditions for not vetoing Albania's EU membership aspirations: Beleri's oath, a fair trial and respect for the presumption of innocence.
DIPLOMACY ACCELERATED
The Greek news website shared the information that the authorities of the two countries are in contact.
According to the reports, the Albanian side favours a solution plan to renew the elections in Himare and to exclude the detained Beleri from the elections.
Greece, on the other hand, seems determined to make this an EU issue.
Demonstrations by the Greek minority in the cities of Albania's Epirus region are also challenging the Tirana administration.
APPEAL AGAINST DETENTION
At the hearing held last week, the objection to Beleri's detention was rejected.
Greece, in a written statement to the European Council, expressed its scepticism about the arrest of the representative of an ethnic minority in Albania, protected by international legal status, two days before the elections.
Athens accused Albania of failing to respect minority rights and said this would 'block the road to the EU'.
A CONTROVERSIAL NAME
It is stated that Beleri had ties with far-right extremist groups in Greece and that he was caught with weapons on the Greek-Albanian border in 1995. According to the news in the Greek press in those years, the groups that caused disturbances in the Epirus region were brought before the judiciary and sentenced to various penalties.
The Greek press also notes that Beleri's "Hellenist" politics in Albania has found favour in Greek nationalist circles.
