The Federation of Greek Associations of Greater New York declared Fredi Beleris Honorary Grand Marshal of the 5th Avenue Parade, as announced by the Parade Committee President, Philip Christopher.
With this initiative, Greeks in America send a strong message to Albania and the American Government that they stand by the elected Mayor of Himara, as well as by all Greeks of Northern Epirus.
As is known, in May 2023, two days before the local elections, where he was a candidate for Mayor of Himara, Beleris was arrested on fake charges of vote buying. On May 14, he was elected Mayor of Himara, despite being in detention.
On March 5, 2024, the special court SPAK found the elected Mayor of Himara and his associate Pantelis Kokavesis guilty. The court sentenced Fredi Beleris to two years in prison and Kokavesis to 18 months with a three-year suspension. According to the residents of Himara, the decision was predetermined, with the sole aim of preventing Fredi Beleris from being sworn in as mayor and with the aim of seizing the properties of the indigenous ethnic Greek minority of Northern Epirus and expelling them from their homeland in Himara.
In May 2023, Ilir Maniani, Minister of Justice of Albania during the period 2015-2017, accused the government of Edi Rama of the arrest of Beleris, describing it as a “fiasco” and “interference in free elections.” The Greek government stood by Beleris from the beginning and condemned the Rama government, while the European Union also condemned his arrest.
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