The elected mayor of Heimarra and Member of the European Parliament of New Democracy will remain in prison until October, according to an Albanian court decision.

The Court of Appeal also decided to uphold the sentence for Freddy Beleris’ close associate, Pantelis Kokavesis. The latter has been sentenced to three years, a sentence that has been turned to home arrest due to Kokavesis’ health problems.

The arising question is whether Freddy Beleris, who has been a prisoner since May 12, 2023, will be allowed to travel to Brussels, at the first session of July for the work of the European Parliament of which he is an elected member.

The decision of the Court of Appeal was expected, as the coup d’état against him was planned at every step by the Albanian Prime Minister himself, states the elected MEP of New Democracy, Freddy Beleris, in a statement.

One thing is certain, however: the travesty of justice, with a prosecution witness confessing to being paid by the Albanian police to perjury, a judge that has been banned from entering Greece due to forgery of documents and an appointed – not nominated – president of the Court of Appeal does not end here. 

Beleris has already started the appeal procedures at the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg and he is sure that the justice that was not served by the Rama regime will be served there, he adds.

Furthermore, after underlining that with his conviction Edi Rama was successful in me not taking office as the elected mayor of Heimarra, so that he could implement his plans and seize the properties of the Greeks of the area, he emphasizes that my presence in the European Parliament, thanks to the determination of Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the support of the Greek people, guarantees that the fight for democracy and the rule of law will continue. 

Those who cultivated illusions that Rama will behave as the leader of a country that wants to join the European family and not as yet another authoritarian leader have been disproved, he concluded.

As far as he is concerned his position is clear: just as he did not bend in the last 14 months, so he will not bend now, in the remaining 3-4 months. Eddie Rama will be in a hard position from now on, not me. In the end, light always wins over darkness, concludes Mr. Beleris in his announcement.

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