Albania imprisons ethnic Greek mayor on vote-buying charges, stoking regional tension fears

An Albanian court on Tuesday imprisoned a mayor from the country’s Greek minority on vote-buying charges, a ruling that was expected to raise tensions with neighboring Greece.

Greece had called on Albania’s government to stop the process against Dhionisios Alfred Beleri, saying the case could negatively impact Albania’s application to join the European Union. Albania is a candidate member negotiating full membership.

Albania’s government has said it could do nothing while the case was in court.

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The Special Court on Corruption and Organized Crime gave Beleri a two-year sentence.

Beleri was elected mayor of Himare, 150 miles south of the capital, Tirana. He was arrested days before the vote while allegedly offering 40,000 Albanian leks ($390 at the time) to buy eight votes. Beleri won the election but could not be sworn in while under arrest.

Beleri’s lawyer, Geni Gjyzari, asserted that the verdict was “political as the prime minister had ordered it,” adding that he would appeal.

Greece’s foreign ministry said the court decision “increases the concern already expressed on the objectivity of the (judicial) process,” claiming that the sentence is “clearly disproportionate to the alleged offense.”

“The selective implementation of court rulings and the prejudging of court decisions do not conform with the rule of law,” a ministry statement said. “The Greek government will closely follow the case and hopes to see a fair and objective ruling at the appeal trial.”

Relations between Greece and post-communist Albania have been uneasy at times, largely over issues of minority rights and the sizable Albanian community in Greece.