Two judges of Durrës have given up judging the case of Fredi Beleri, who was arrested for electoral corruption, shortly before his election as the mayor of Himare in the southwestern coast of Albania.
He denies the accusations, while the issue has become a subject of high public and diplomatic interest in the relations between our country and Greece, as result of the Greek community living in Himare.
As of September 22, Beler’s request for permission to be sworn in as mayor of Himara was referred to the Durrës court for “incompetence” by the Special Court for Corruption and Organized Crime.
Awaiting the trial, Fredi Beleri is held in Durrës, so after accepting the competence to review the case, lots were cast for the appointment of the judge, but one after the other, judges Rexhep Bekteshi and Besjana Garxenaj gave up the task, asking the president of the Court of the first instance of the Durrës General Jurisdiction, for replacement.
In both cases, the judges said they have reasonable reasons not to consider this delicate issue, since the involvement of Greek minorities.
This second argument was accepted by the president of the court, Paulin Çera, who ordered the replacement of judge Bekteshi, but the other judge, Besjana Garxenaj, also asked not to participate in the hearing saying that she is from Gjirokastra in the south of Albania, and her family had a relationship with a victim from an alleged ethnic conflict there.
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