Ethnic Greek and mayor-elect of Himare Fredi Beleri thanked Minister of State Stavros Papastavrou for visiting him in jail on Tuesday in Durres, where he is detained pending trial.
Beleri was detained in May on suspicion of voter fraud, but remains formally uncharged and all appeals to be released in order to be sworn in as mayor have been turned down by the Albanian courts.
In an online post, Beleri thanked the Greek state for its support and actual presence through Mr. Papastavrou, “before the unprecedented and blatantly unjust detention and the suspension of my right to be sworn in as mayor.” The support, he added, gave him courage and made him optimistic for a just resolution of his case.
