Himare

Athens is indirectly but clearly questioning the election results of Sunday's runoff municipal elections for the municipality of Himare in southern Albania after serious doubts were raised by members of the ethnic Greek minority.

The Court of Appeal of Tirana on Tuesday upheld the two-year jail sentence issued by the court of first instance against Fredi Beleri, the elected ethnic Greek mayor of Himare in southern Albania, and now MEP for ruling New Democracy.

The ruling means Beleri won't be able to attend the first plenary session of the European Parliament from July 16 to 19 in Strasbourg.

Fredi Beleri, the jailed ethnic Greek mayor-elect of the southern Albanian municipality of Himare, has been elected as an MEP with Greece's ruling New Democracy party in Sunday's European elections. 

The swearing-in ceremony for the elected mayor of Himare in Albania, Fredi Beleri, is scheduled for Tuesday but cannot take place while he still remains in custody.

According to Albanian legislation a deputy mayor, appointed by a council of ministers controlled by the ruling Socialist Party, will have to take office.