The decision of the Albanian Special Court not to grant permission to the mayor-elect Fredi Beleris to swear-in caused anger among the Greeks of Himara in Northern Epirus, Albania.
Dozens of Greeks who gathered on Monday night waiting for the Court’s decision, shouted “shame on you, we have a dictatorship” as soon as the decision was announced, while Fredi Beleris himself, who remains in custody, said that “Edi Rama and his gang trivialize the process and dictate the decisions of the Court”.
Αγανάκτηση και θυμό προκάλεσε η απόφαση του SPAK στους Χιμαραίους που βρέθηκαν σήμερα έξω από το δικαστήριο για να διαμαρτυρηθούν. pic.twitter.com/HOTQsmYbL7
— Himara.gr (@HimaraGr) December 11, 2023
The head of the Greek political party KEAD, Vangelis Doules called the decision of the GJKKO Special Court “a decision that violates the rule of law and the presumption of innocence.
In a statement to the media after the court ruling, Dulles said today’s decision was orchestrated by Edi Rama.
“The Beleri case is nothing but a cacophony of justice where the text, music and orchestration are done by a sole composer, Prime Minister Edi Rama. For months Beleris has been deprived of his basic rights, while the citizens are deprived of the right to vote. The issue is one and only: Rama wants at all costs to keep in the chair of the municipality of Himara a mayor who has not been voted by the citizens to continue the corruption cases aimed at change the ownership regime of the real estates of Himara. This is not an interference in the affairs of justice but an opinion that we can express about a decision. Interference with justice is what you heard in Prime Minister Rama’s interview. These are very difficult times that set a dangerous precedent that violates the rule of law, the presumption of innocence”, Dulles said.
