The elected mayor of Himara, Fredi Beleri, was sentenced to two years in prison by the Special Court.
A decision for which his lawyer emphasized that they will appeal. Beleri claimed that the court had conducted an irregular process and that his right to be elected had been violated due to the restriction of freedom.
“Regarding the claim for violation of the principle of equality before the law and non-discrimination, the Court assessed that the petitioner is not legitimate. In relation to the claim for the restriction of personal freedom in violation of the principle of proportionality, the Court assessed, by majority vote, that the restriction of personal freedom was established by the ordinary courts for a legitimate purpose, which is to guarantee the smooth running and integrity of the criminal process in charge of Mr. Beleri.
In this context, the Court assessed that the imposition of the personal security measure “Arrest in prison” against Mr. Beleri makes it impossible for him to take the oath procedure as the elected mayor of the municipality of Himara and, as a consequence, it (the measure of arrest) constitutes a limitation of his right to be elected. However, since the Court came to the conclusion that the restriction of Mr. Beleri’s personal freedom was made for a legal purpose and that the restriction is proportional in relation to this purpose, it (the Court), by majority vote, did not find a violation of the right of the petitioner to be elected”, it is stated on the decision of the Constitutional Court.
/abcnews.al
