ATHENS

A local court in Albania on Monday ordered the release of Fredi Beleris, the country's ethnic Greek leader and recently elected member of the European Parliament, after nearly 16 months in prison.

The order was issued by the Fier district court in southwestern Albania six weeks before Beleri's jail term was set to end, according to local media.

Beleri had requested early release through his attorney on the grounds that he had served more than two-thirds of his sentence and had exhibited good behavior while incarcerated, the online media outlet ekathimerini.com reported.

The only condition for his early release is that he maintain regular phone contact with the local police station, the outlet added.

"Today's decision is a drop in the ocean of justice that awaits us. My struggle begins now," Beleri was quoted by the media outlet as saying following the court's announcement.

He added that he plans to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights “for everything the Albanian regime denied me in a coup-like manner.”

He also thanked Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for making the "courageous decision" to include him on the New Democracy ticket for the European Parliament elections, saying it "changed the course of my history."

Beleri, who was elected mayor of Himare in southern Albania, was arrested on May 12 last year, two days before the election, and sentenced to two years in prison. His case has significantly impacted Greek–Albanian relations.

He was charged with attempting to buy votes before the local elections on May 14, 2023, which he won.

In March, an Albanian court sentenced Beleri to two years in prison for election fraud.

Beleri was elected to the European Parliament in June as a member of Greece's ruling center-right New Democracy party.