Beleri received a two-year prison sentence for allegedly purchasing votes during the 2023 Albanian local elections. Despite his conviction, Beleri participated in the inaugural session of the European Parliament.
The 51-year-old politician secured his parliamentary seat in Greece while serving his sentence, obtaining 238,801 votes on the New Democracy party list, ranking fourth among the party's seven representatives.
European Parliament members enjoy immunity within the EU, but Albania is not part of the bloc.
Albania and Greece have historically strained relations, mainly due to the rights of the Greek minority in Albania and the large Albanian community in Greece.
Allegations
His arrest occurred two days before the local elections of May 14, 2023, in Himara, a region with a significant Greek ethnic minority.
Accused of offering 40,000 Albanian leks (€360) for eight votes, he won the mayoral election by 19 votes, supported by the Greek minority party and other opposition to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama's ruling socialists. However, Beleri never assumed office.
Last month, an appeals court upheld the conviction, and Albanian authorities formally removed Beleri from the Himara mayoral position, calling for new elections. According to the court's ruling, Beleri will be eligible for release in October 2024.