Greek communities in Albania

Pyrrhos Dimas appeared emotional during the presentation of New Democracy’s ballot for the European elections, referring to Freddie Beleris, the elected mayor of Himara who is currently in an Albanian prison

Greeks in the US sent a strong message to Albania & the US Government that they stand by the elected Mayor of Himara as well as all Greeks of Northern Epirus

The municipal council of Himare in southern Albania appointed Blerina Bala as the new acting mayor of the town on Friday, following the detention of Jorgo Goro.

Goro, affiliated with the ruling Socialist Party, was arrested last week on charges of alleged abuse of office, which he denies.

It came after a complaint by the elected mayor of Himara Fredi Beleris – Albania hopes the presence of another member of the minority will appease Greece

The elected mayor of Himara speaks of a parody trial - My crime is that we want to be the masters of our ancestral land he says

For the past nine months, Kathimerini has been drawing attention to the judicial odyssey of Fredi Beleri, the mayor-elect of the predominantly ethnic Greek city of Himare in southern Albania, and to the violations of human rights, the rule of law and the principles of democracy entailed in his persecution.

Albanian mayoral candidate Gjergj Goro, who assumed office amid the incarceration of opponent Fredi Beleri in the Albanian region of Himare, reportedly resigned on Saturday. 

Beleri, an ethnic Greek, has been incarcerated pending trial since May on vote-buying charges after his arrest on the eve of municipal elections which he won against Socialist candidate Jorgo Goro.

Fredi Beleri's request to be sworn in as mayor of Himare was rejected by Albania's Special Appeals Court for Corruption and Organized Crime on Monday.

Beleri was arrested in May on voting fraud charges just before winning the municipal election in the predominantly ethnic-Greek southern Albanian region of Himare. He is currently in pretrial detention.

The Foreign Ministry released a statement on Monday on the continued detention of the elected mayor of Himara Fredi Beleri, condemning the Albanian court decision to reject his appeal for release.

A large number of ethnic Greeks attended a demonstration on Monday staged by the Omonoia organization in the southern Albanian city of Himare, demanding the immediate release of mayor-elect Fredi Beleri.