Member of the European Parliament Fredi Beleri says the European Court of Human Rights has accepted his complaint regarding the length of his pretrial detention and found a violation by the Albanian authorities. In a statement published on 10 November, Beleri says the ECtHR found that Albanian courts had not properly examined whether his detention had exceeded a reasonable period. According to him, the Court also awarded compensation for moral damage and legal costs. Beleri was arrested on 12 May 2023, two days before the local elections in which he was elected mayor of the Municipality of Himara, and claims his detention prevented him from taking the oath and assuming the office. He describes the decision as proof of the violation of his rights and those of the citizens who voted for him, and states that he will continue the fight in the political and judicial arenas.
Excerpts from the statement by Fredi Beleri
Albania was convicted in my case; the ECtHR found in my favour regarding the length of my unlawful pretrial detention.
In the local elections of 14 May 2023, the citizens of my home town elected me Mayor. However, the Albanian state had imprisoned me on Friday, 12 May, two days before the elections, on the basis of groundless charges.
Today, Tuesday, 10 November 2026, three and a half years later, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) accepted my complaint and condemned Albania.
Specifically, the ECtHR found a violation of my rights regarding the length of my detention, rejecting the reasoning of the Albanian courts and stressing that they had not properly examined whether the detention had exceeded a reasonable duration. At the same time, the Court awarded me compensation for moral damage and legal costs.
This decision highlights the serious problems in the functioning of institutions in Albania and in respect for citizens’ rights.
My detention did not only deprive me of my liberty. It also denied me the right to take the oath and to assume leadership of the Municipality that the citizens had entrusted to me.
At the same time, the citizens of Himara were denied the right to have the mayor they had chosen themselves.
Political manipulation and deliberate manoeuvres allowed Mr. Goro to remain in the post of mayor despite his defeat in the elections, followed by the appointment of two other mayors by the government. Behind these arbitrary acts lies a broader aim: the continued violation of property rights and the minority rights of members of the Greek Ethnic Minority in Albania.
These practices constitute yet another proof of the distance separating Albania from European principles and values.
I warmly thank my lawyer in Albania, Ms. Klodiana Gyzari, as well as the lawyer Mr. Vangjel Guma, who represented me before the ECtHR.
I also thank, from the bottom of my heart, all those who stood by me from the very first moment and believed in the justice of our cause.
No judicial manoeuvre and no political interest can nullify the will of the citizens of Himara. The citizens elected their mayor. Their vote has value, and their voice must be respected.
We continue the struggle for justice and for our right, both in the political and in the judicial arena.