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Strasbourg condemns Albania for Beleri's detention, here's how much we have to pay in compensation!

2026-11-10 13:46:02Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Strasbourg condemns Albania for Beleri's detention, here's how much we
Fredi Beleri

The Strasbourg Court has found a violation of the Convention in the case of Fredi Beleri, assessing that his continued detention was not based on sufficient reasons. The Court ruled that, at least from 19 July 2023 onwards, the Albanian authorities had not provided sufficient justification for his detention.

In the decision announced on 10 November 2026, Strasbourg stressed that Beleri's initial detention was justified, finding no violation of the Convention for the first period after his arrest. However, the Court considered that over time the authorities should have fully re-examined whether the reasons for his detention continued to exist and whether more lenient security measures could be applied.

According to the decision, Beleri was arrested on May 12, 2023 and remained in detention until March 5, 2024, when he was sentenced. The detention period lasted 9 months and 21 days.

In examining the case, the Court noted that the Albanian authorities had relied on the risk of absconding, the possibility of influencing witnesses, the risk of reoffending and the seriousness of the charge. However, Strasbourg found that the domestic courts had not properly assessed the changing circumstances over time.

In particular, the Court stressed that the Albanian courts had not sufficiently taken into account the completion of the investigations and the fact that the indictment had been filed, and had not identified concrete evidence that could be compromised by Beleri’s intervention. Nor had they sufficiently assessed his family and economic ties with Himara, where his family lived and where he had commercial activities.

Another criticism of Strasbourg concerns the way in which the domestic courts had examined Beleri's requests to replace pre-trial detention with a more lenient measure. According to the Court, they could not limit themselves to the argument that the cases had been examined previously, but had to assess at each stage whether the reasons for the deprivation of liberty continued to be valid.

The Court also recalled that the seriousness of the criminal offence, taken in isolation, cannot serve as an independent reason for continued detention and that the authorities must also consider the possibility of alternative measures.

In conclusion, Strasbourg ruled that Albania must pay Fredi Beleri €450 for non-pecuniary damage and €5,000 for legal costs and expenses. The court dismissed his claim for compensation for the loss of income he claimed to have suffered because he was unable to exercise his duties as mayor of Himara.

Fredi Beleri was elected mayor of Himara in the 2023 local elections, but was unable to take the oath and take office due to his arrest. He was convicted of active corruption in the elections, in the context of the vote-buying case. His conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court and the case is currently before the Constitutional Court./ VNA


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