Vassilis Nedos
03.01.2024
The difficulties that lie ahead in finding an acceptable solution to the case of Fredi Beleri, the jailed ethnic-Greek mayor of Himare, were reflected at the funeral of his grandmother, which took place on New Year’s Eve in the southern Albanian town, under tight security, with the presence of a total of almost 30 armed police officers.
The palpable tension in the cemetery and the very limited time that Beleri was allowed to be present in his hometown did not suggest a police operation to guard someone accused of bribery, but rather of someone serving hard time.
If anything, the behavior of the Albanian police indicated an effort at sending a signal that the Tirana government will not make any concessions in the case of Beleri, who is accused of vote bribery to the tune of 340 euros.
The politicization of his case by the government of Edi Rama was also seen as an affront to the Greek ethnic minority, which perceived the stance of the police as disrespectful to its customs and traditions.
As for the broader issue concerning the Beleri case and Albania’s EU accession perspective which Athens is threatening to impede, the funeral in Himare dealt a huge blow to the Albanian government’s case, as the images were also made available to all those who are pressuring Greece not to pursue the issue.
Beleris’ lawyers and family members appealed to the authorities requesting a 48-hour leave of absence. Although from the outset prison authorities were oriented towards a six-hour leave, it was never granted.
Beleri was led in front of his grandmother’s grave surrounded by police officers. When at some point some of the mourners shouted his name, Beleri was quickly led back to the vehicle to return to the prison.
The images of Albanian police officers trampling in their haste over graves sparked further tension in a very confined area, where a total of over 400 people were gathered.
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