Greece concerned over rule of law in Albania

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUN 26 - Greece's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Wednesday in response to an Albanian court's decision to reject an appeal by Fredi Beleri, an ethnic Greek elected mayor of Himara and more recently a member of the European Parliament, who will be imprisoned until October, according to the daily Kathimerini. Beleri was convicted earlier this year of vote-buying in Albania's local elections last May, which he and Athens believe are politically motivated. In its announcement, the ministry stated that the decision "confirmed concerns about the level of the rule of law and the protection of minorities in Albania." It also stated that Greece had expressed concerns about many aspects of the case, including the violation of the presumption of innocence, the disproportionate sentence imposed by the court, and the denial of Beleri's right to be sworn in. (ANSA).