The arrested mayor of the southern Albanian municipality of Himara, Freddy Belleri, who was nominated as a MEP by the ruling party in Greece " "New Democracy" won a seat in the European Parliament, reports Euronews Albania, BTA reported.
According to data from the Albanian media and the Greek section of CNN, Belleri ranks third in terms of votes in the party of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. According to Euronews Albania, he should be among the seven MEPs who will represent the "New Democracy" in the European Parliament.
Fredi Belleri, who is ethnic Greek, was arrested two days before Albania's local elections on May 14, 2023, on charges of vote-buying. In March of this year, Belleri was sentenced to two years in prison. On the Greek side, they questioned the fairness of the trial against him and made it clear that this could jeopardize Albania's European integration.
After his election as an MEP, Belleri thanked the Greeks who "honored him with their vote" and defined the news as a "victory of light over darkness". He emphasized that the voice of the Greek ethnic minority will now be even stronger.
Beleri's place in Himara's town hall was taken by former mayor Yorgo Goro, who was Belleri's opponent in the local elections. Yorgo Goro, who is also an ethnic Greek, was arrested in turn on March 23 of this year. on charges of abuse of power over the alleged illegal expropriation of two parcels of government land. The municipal council of Himara on Saturday elected Archile Bolano as the acting mayor of Himara, after the interim mayor of the municipality after Belleri and Goro - Blerina Balya - resigned from the post due to personal reasons.