Fredi Beleri (Albanian: Fredi Beleri;[2] Greek: Διονύσιος-Φρέντης Μπελέρης[3]) is an ethnically Greek politician from Albania who was elected mayor of Himarë, a coastal town in southern Albania with a significant Greek population.[4] Beleri was elected mayor in the 2023 local elections as candidate of the Together We Win political coalition, an office he did not take after being arrested a few days earlier for alleged vote buying. His arrest mobilized both the Greek community in Albania and the Greek government, which accused the Albanian authorities of attempting to hinder the political activities of Albania's Greek minority.[5] In the trial that followed, he was sentenced to two years in prison;[6] Beleri challenged his conviction, and the final decision on his appeal is due on 25 June 2024.[7][8]
Later, the Greek New Democracy party selected him as a candidate for the European Parliamentary candidacy ahead of the 2024 European elections. Beleri was elected as the party's MEP, with 238,801 votes.[9] He is expected to take over as Greece's MEP in the European Parliament on 2 July.
^"Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the arrest of Dionysis-Fredi Beleri, candidate for Mayor of the Municipality of Himare with the Unity for Human Rights Party (KEAD) (12.05.2023)".
^"fredi beleri". Archived from the original on 2024-01-05. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
^"Διονύσιος-Φρέντης Μπελέρης – Υποψήφιος Ευρωβουλευτής". New Democracy.
^"Φρέντι Μπελέρης: Σπούδασε στο Πάντειο, έζησε στην Ελλάδα – Η πορεία του" [Fredi Beleri: Studied at Panteion, lived in Greece – His career]. iefimerida.gr (in Greek). 2024-04-16. Archived from the original on 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
^"Parliamentary question | the arrest of Himara's mayor, Fredi Beleri | E-001776/2023 | European Parliament".
^"Ethnic Greek mayor Fredi Beleri sentenced to two years of prison in Albania". 6 March 2024. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
^Sinoruka, Fjori (29 March 2024). "With Two Mayors Behind Bars, Albanian Municipality Elects Caretaker". Balkan Insight.
^Nedos, Vassilis (15 June 2024). "Ruling on jailed ethnic Greek mayor deferred". Kathimerini.
^"European parliament election – June 2024". Ministry of the Interior. June 2024.
FrediBeleri (Albanian: FrediBeleri; Greek: Διονύσιος-Φρέντης Μπελέρης) is an ethnically Greek politician from Albania who was elected mayor of Himarë...
interests". In 2019 the candidacy of the representative of Omonoia, FrediBeleri was rejected by the Albanian authorities due to a three-year conviction...
the Albanian authorities of the representative of the Greek minority, FrediBeleri, on charges of vote buying. The latter was elected mayor of Himara. Dimas...
Sandro Gozi 2019 Italian France Renew Caroline Roose 2019 Belgian France Green Christian Allard 2019 French UK EFA FrediBeleri 2024 Albanian Greek EPP...
issues, international observers say". osce.org. Retrieved 2023-06-16. "FrediBeleri sentenced two year in prison for corruption" (in Albanian). Retrieved...
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