ABTTF President: “While Minister of Foreign Affairs Gerapetritis criticises Albania for not respecting the rule of law, we expect the same sensitivity for our community, which has been systematically discriminated and whose rights have been violated for decades in our country, a member of the EU since 1981. Before lecturing other countries on the rule of law and fundamental rights, the rulers of our country should turn the mirror to our country and abandon the perception discourse that manipulates the facts that the international public opinion is no longer convinced of, as evidenced by the EP resolution and the European Commission’s latest report’’.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of our country Greece, Giorgos Gerapetritis, commented on the early release of Fredi Beleri, a member of the ethnic Greek minority in Albania, who was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from the ruling New Democracy (ND).
In his statement, Gerapetritis stated that the release of Beleri after nearly 16 months of detention and imprisonment is a positive development, but that it will not be enough to cover up what happened regarding the rule of law and fundamental norms, and that Greece will continue to pay close attention to the ethnic Greek minority in Albania and to emphasise issues related to international law and the European acquis.
Fredi Beleri, who was elected Mayor of Himara in the local elections held on 14 May 2023 in Albania, was arrested on charges of active corruption in the elections.
‘‘It is normal for our country to look after the rights of the Greek minority in Albania. While Minister of Foreign Affairs Gerapetritis criticises Albania for not respecting the rule of law, we expect him to show the same sensitivity for our community, which has been systematically discriminated and whose rights have been violated for decades in our country, which has been a member of the EU since 1981. It is our country itself that violates the rule of law and disregards its obligations under international law by not executing the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights with respect to our associations for the past sixteen years. Before lecturing other countries on the rule of law and fundamental rights, the rulers of our country should turn the mirror towards our country and abandon the perception discourse that manipulates the facts that the international public opinion is no longer convinced of, as evidenced by the EP resolution and the European Commission’s latest report’’, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
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