Subject: Illegal actions by the Albanian authorities
Three days before the Albanian elections on 14 May, Fredi Beleris, mayoral candidate for the municipality of Himara, was arrested at his place of business in Himara together with his lawyer and associate. The Albanian authorities detained his associate, Mr Kokavesis, despite the fact that he has recently undergone heart surgery. The arrest was made on charges of ‘vote-buying’, despite the absence of any complaints to this effect.
Mr Beleris, who belongs to the Greek ethnic minority of Northern Epirus, was elected mayor of Himara, despite being in prison. Although Prime Minister Rama stated that he did not question the election result, the three persons who were arrested remain in detention.
Members of the Greek ethnic minority claim that there are hidden interests behind the arrest, namely land grabbing from the Greek minority. They allege that the land is being misused by individuals affiliated with Mr Rama, such as the husband of the Foreign Affairs Minister, who, by decision of the Council of Ministers, was deemed a strategic investor and allocated a vast swathe of coastal land in Himara for tourism-related projects.
Given that Albania hopes to accede to the European Union and is therefore obliged to act democratically, in compliance with international agreements, can the Commission tell us:
What steps is the Commission going to take to promptly address and prevent illegal actions against the ethnic minority of a Member State?
Submitted:24.5.2023
Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission
(13 July 2023)
The Commission took positive note that the local elections in Albania on 14 May 2023 were held in a calm and transparent manner on the day of the vote.
According to the preliminary findings and conclusions of the Extended Election Observation Mission of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR), the local elections were well-administered, competitive and held with the participation of the country’s key political forces.
Cases of misuse of public resources at both national and local levels, allegations of pressure on voters and in particular public sector workers, and of vote buying were of concern. All these need to be duly investigated.
Regarding the arrest of mayor-elect Fredi Beleri, the Commission continues to follow the developments. As a rule, the Commission does not comment on ongoing investigations. It has called on ensuring that due process is upheld.
The Commission will continue to monitor and report on overall developments in Albania, including in the enlargement package (1).
1 ∙ ⸱ SWD(2022) 332 final. | | ( | | )