LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic thankful to FAZ and CNN (N1/Beta)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, in response to the writing of the US cable network CNN and German daily Frankfurter Allgemaine Zeitung (FAZ), said that he was “thankful” to them for “promoting” him. CNN published on its site an article titled “The West’s ‘see no evil’ approach to Serbia’s Vucic risks destabilizing the Balkans”, while FAZ published an article in which it is stated that the Serbian President, along with the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik comprise a threesome of political leaders loyal to the Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I express my sincere gratitude to CNN and the Frankfurter Allgemaine Zeitung for the fact that the are promoting me virtually every day, but for me much more important than their scribbling is that we are carrying out the rehabilitation of the road in the village of Cetanje, Priboj municipality. The total length of the road is 1,500 meters, and the width three meters”, wrote Vucic on his official Instagram profile. “Fulfilling of the promises given to the Bosniaks and Serbs in the villages of Cetanje, Kalafati and Bare is more important even then the strength with which you have to resist the pressures of political and media half-truths and untruths”, he said.

 

Petkovic: Now it’s much clearer under what influence Svecla was when he acted against Serbs (Novosti)

 

Albania-based media are reporting five were arrested in a major police operation, including Besnik Mujeci, a Self Determination councillor in Pristina. Shortly after the news came out, Berat Rukiqi reacted, publishing a photo of Mujeci with Albin Kurti’s Minister Xhelal Svecla, writes Novosti. On this occasion, the director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, posted on Twitter that it is now much clearer under what influence Svecla was when he acted against Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. "While Svecla is using any means to criminalizing Serbs in the north of Kosovo and Metohija without evidence, he secretly embraces drug dealers from Self Determination (Kurti’s party)! Now it is much clearer under what influence he was when led the actions against the Serbs and the Serb List, and when he was overturning EULEX vehicles,” wrote Petkovic.

 

Simic: Every Kurti’s decision is direct attack on Serbs (RTS)

 

The vice-president of the Serb List Igor Simic told Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) that the announcement by the mayor of North Mitrovica that he would release public areas is just one more in a series of decisions that are against the interests of the Serb people, especially the interests of Serbian businessmen and the service industry. The mayor of the Municipality of North Mitrovica Erden Atic announced last week that he will release public areas in that city. The deadline expired on Monday, so small businessmen and traders who keep some of their goods on the sidewalks fear the next move. The municipalities in the north of Kosovo and Metohija now make decisions easily because councillors in local assemblies are mostly Albanians, as are all four mayors. However, Simic says that only those who look at the situation superficially believe that elections are a magical solution that will solve all problems. “And at the moment when we had Serbian mayors and Serbian policemen within the Kosovo system, we were under a strong cannonade of repression by the regime of Albin Kurti. New elections will not withdraw the illegal special units that operate in the north of Kosovo and harass our citizens,” Simic points out. “We entered the Kosovo system in 2013, primarily Serbs in the north of Kosovo, because we were promised respect for basic human rights, because we were promised that the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities would be respected, the establishment of police units that would reflect the ethnic composition of the population in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, that the rights of Serbs to stay and survive in these areas and their property, personal and civil rights will be protected in the judiciary. Nothing of that happened and as a result, Serbs have been warning for years that in this way they will not be part of Kosovo system,” says Simic. Simic warns that the interruption of the signal for the local Serb population would mean terrible conditions in which they have to live in the area of Kosovo and Metohija. “Just imagine the situation in the 21st century if you don’t have channels in the Serbian language, if you don’t have access to the internet, if you can’t communicate normally with your relatives in Serbia proper. That would mean absolute media and information darkness for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija,” Simic points out. Simic says that the representatives of the international community in Kosovo and Metohija seem not to be concerned about everything that is happening, which the representatives of the Serb people warned about at the meetings. “What we could see in North Macedonia is the most direct consequence of the implementation of Albin Kurti’s plan for a kind of Greater Albania, which he dreamed about for many years and wrote about in all the strategic documents of his party,” Simic points out. He says that it did not surprise them, but that the silence of the international community, especially the institutions that are responsible for preserving the peace and security of all citizens, is surprising.

 

In its pursuit of Telekom Serbia, Pristina violates all principles of the rule of law (B92/Kosovo Online)

 

The hunt by Pristina authorities against Telekom Serbia continues, reports the media.

Kosovo authorities claim that the company Telekom Serbia violated the law, which was not even in force during the period to which these claims relate. Moreover, as insiders familiar with this case point out, Pristina is disclosing information to the public that falls within the realm of business secrets. The campaign being waged against Telekom Serbia is entirely contrary to the rule of law and all international standards. This can be deduced from research conducted by Kosovo Online following the official statement from the Kosovo Competition Authority that the "Telekom Serbia branch in Kosovo (MTS) acted contrary to the applicable law", and that "MTS did not provide the necessary documentation to the Antitrust Authority and on that basis acquired at least four small operators, whose total value is over 20 million Euros", as reported by the portal. "The case is in the final stage of the investigation process," stated Seljadin Beqai, the acting director of the Competition Authority, in an interview with RTK. With this, the campaign of pressure on Telekom Serbia in Kosovo continues, now entering its second week, even with the announcement that this largest telecommunications company in the Western Balkans region will be prohibited from operating in Kosovo. According to insiders, Telekom finds itself in the center of an absurd legal persecution where the rule of law, sound judgment, and basic logic are absent. They add that the retroactive application of the law is completely out of line with all European and international legal standards. They particularly emphasize that the actions of Kosovo regulatory bodies against MTS d.o.o. cast a shadow over the climate for normal business operations and investments in Kosovo. Now, one company that has been declared unwanted is under attack; the same fate might befall another company in the future. Namely, at the end of November 2022, the Kosovo Competition Authority initiated an investigation regarding the acquisition of four small cable operators by Telekom\'s company "MTS d.o.o." In the period 2019-2021, MTS acquired the following operators: VGN Net from North Mitrovica (December 2019), Impuls from Leposavic (December 2019), Lika from Zvecan (March 2020), and Herc International from Strpce (March 2021). During that period, the Law on the Protection of Competition (No. 03/L-229) was in force in Kosovo, under which MTS conducted its operations properly and had no obligation to report these acquisitions. In fact, according to that law, the necessary condition for reporting to the Competition Authority is not met, which is that at least two participants in the capital concentration have annual revenues exceeding 3 million euros. None of the cable operators acquired by MTS meets that condition. The absurdity lies in the fact that authorities in Pristina, namely their Agency, initiated an investigation against MTS based on the new Law on Protection of Competition, which came into effect in June 2022 – a full six months after the last acquisition and two and a half years after the first acquisitions. Therefore, the law under which Telekom is being charged was not in force at the time the acquisitions were carried out, as stated by this portal.

 

Sir Ivor Roberts: Vucic and Kurti should be let continue the dialogue (Demostat/Beta)

 

A British diplomat and a former ambassador to Serbia Sir Ivor Roberts has said that Serbia’s future is in the EU and that Russia has nothing positive to offer Serbia. In an interview with research and publishing centre Demostat, Sir Roberts said he hoped that the Serb minority would be granted autonomy in Kosovo, which would be part of a painful compromise the Kosovo leadership would have to make, but added that it would be painful for both sides. “The Serb majority has to accept that autonomy would refer to culture and economy and also to local self-government, but not to the right to secession – it is a bitter pill which the Serbian side has to swallow in return,” he said. Speaking about the French-German agreement for Kosovo, Roberts said that creation of an Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities was not a goal in itself and that it was important to hold on to the momentum leading to a final agreement. Commenting on a letter of a number of western parliamentarians who have requested a different approach to Serbia in resolving the Kosovo issue, Roberts said that “currently, there exists no other political force in Serbia which can secure a majority and the required authority to reach an agreement on Kosovo.” He added that if the goal was a long-lasting resolution, then one should let Vucic and Albin Kurti resume the dialogue and support the international negotiators. “A potential change of the regime would probably see on the one hand creation of a hardcore right-wing and pro-Russian coalition, probably headed by Milorad Dodik, who, as we all know, holds Serbian citizenship, and on the other hand, a pro-European coalition based in major cities. Such a situation would more likely lead to a civil war in Serbia than to any agreement on Kosovo, while the region would be doomed to yet another generation in isolation and instability,” Sir Roberts specified.

 

Party of Macedonians of Serbia: Skopje should reconsider recognition of Kosovo (N1/mkd.mk)

 

Following events related to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s latest visit Tetovo and Cair in North Macedonia, Party of Macedonians of Serbia leader Goran Ilijevski asked North Macedonia to reconsider its decision on recognizing Kosovo’s independence. Ilijevski said the decision was made against the will of the people and called for the holding of a referendum on the matter, reported the mkd.mk portal. “You recognized Kosovo’s independence in spite of the incursion by the Kosovo Protection Corps and its attack on a Macedonian military convoy. There are monuments to amnestied terrorists, while some of them became even state officials, like the parliament speaker who is still addressed as commander,” Ilijevski said. In what world country is it possible for “terrorists to run state institutions”, Ilijevski asked. Who is in charge of conducting North Macedonia’s foreign policy “by representing Kosovo’s interests and asking other states to recognize its independence”, asked Ilijevski. And what is the National Security Agency doing when “there are people walking around the country with foreign flags – Bulgarian, flag of Greater Albania…” he said. “Is it doing anything for national security? Who is running (North) Macedonia and whose it is? How long do you think this can go on?,” Ilijevski said in a public address.

 

Djilas to seek judicial protection from TV Pink’s fake videos (Danas)

 

Freedom and Justice Party president Dragan Djilas has announced that he will seek legal means to prevent TV Pink from further broadcasting the AI-fabricated video clips in which he and other members of the opposition appear to be giving offensive statements. “This is not a satire but rather a classic case of defrauding the public. A great many people believed that Marinika and I really did utter those words. And that’s why have been featured so many times in TV Pink’s programming,” Djilas told Danas, in response to TV Pink owner and executive producer Zeljko Mitrovic calling the videos “satirical entertainment”. Djilas insisted that if Serbia had a genuine government, the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media would have reacted and “forbidden this deliberate fraud.” But since there are no such government structures, he said, he himself “will try to get a court order proscribing the broadcasting of such content, because tomorrow they might depict someone from the opposition saying it wants to murder the president of state, has ties to criminal gangs or anything else that the public will think is true,” he concluded.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Dodik files criminal report against prosecutor of Prosecutor’s Office of B&H Cosic who filed indictment against him (ATV/BHT1)

 

RS President Milorad Dodik has filed a criminal report against prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H Nedim Cosic for violating the law and making an illegal decision when the mentioned prosecutor filed an indictment against Dodik and the Acting Director of the Official Gazette of the RS. Dodik’s report explains that Cosic made this move by referring to non-existent legislative solutions – which were not adopted by a legal, valid, elected legislative body in B&H. The report also emphasizes that the criminal offense, for which Dodik and Lukic were accused, does not actually exist – as they were accused of not implementing decisions of the High Representative in B&H, and RS and its officials say that Christian Schmidt was not legally appointed to the post by the UN Security Council. In continuity, Schmidt has been violating the constitutional order in B&H with his actions. With his decisions, Schmidt is conducting legal violence on the territory of entire B&H. In the report, Dodik asks the competent prosecutor’s office in the RS to analyze this case as soon as possible, and to initiate a criminal proceeding against prosecutor Nedim Cosic. It is said that Cosic made an illegal decision when he filed the mentioned indictment, and all with the goal of causing harm to the institution of the RS President. BHT1 reports that Dodik wrote on his Twitter (X) account that he filed a criminal complaint to the Special Department for Combating Corruption, Organized Crime and the Most Serious Forms of Economic Crime of RS Public Prosecutor's Office because Cosic “filed indictment for, as it was stated, criminal offense failing to implement the High Representative’s decisions. He, as an official of the B&H Prosecutor’s Office, with the intention to cause damage to the institution of the RS President I represent, made an unlawful decision, committing a criminal offense ‘violation of law’ under Article 364 and ‘abuse of office or power’ under Article 315 of the RS Criminal Code.

 

Kovacevic: Sarajevo has already convicted Dodik and Lukic, the process is just a political farce (ATV)

 

While they say that there is no need to comment on the unconfirmed indictment, former high officials of SDA already regret that RS President Milorad Dodik and Acting Director of the Official Gazette of the RS Milos Lukic will receive less prison terms than they would like, and it is very interesting that they do not say that the indictment could be confirmed, but they already state that it will be, said SNSD spokesman Radovan Kovacevic. He stated that it is completely clear that the indictment against Dodik and Lukic is of an exclusively political nature, that it is an undisguised and most rigid form of political persecution aimed at weakening the position and preparing for the final showdown with the RS. “Sarajevo has already convicted Dodik and Lukic, the process is just a political farce”, Kovacevic wrote on social media.

 

Russian Embassy: Schmidt’s so-called decisions are illegal (ATV)

 

The Embassy of the Russian Federation emphasizes once again that without the appropriate decision of the UN Security Council, the German citizen Christian Schmidt cannot be considered a High Representative in B&H, and that therefore his so-called decisions are illegitimate. “In this regard, we consider it a parody of the rule of law and a gross provocation when external forces abuse the B&H law enforcement system in order to initiate criminal proceedings against the democratically elected and legitimate representatives of the RS for not recognizing the legitimacy of a foreign self-proclaimed person, for truly defending the primacy of international law and acting in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the RS”, reads a statement from the Russian Embassy in B&H.

 

ATV asked European Commission for comment on indictment against Dodik, but no response came (ATV)

 

ATV asked the European Commission (EC) for its comment on the indictment that was recently filed against RS President Milorad Dodik. ATV asked EU spokesperson Peter Stano to comment on indictment against the legally elected RS President. ATV also asked if it is possible for an EU candidate country to have such type of governance. “Can a foreign protectorate be a candidate state?”, ATV asked in its mail to Stano, but no response came by Tuesday’s central news.

 

Crnadak says situation for Dodik is not simple, but no individual is above RS (BNTV)

 

Head of PDP Caucus in the RS parliament Igor Crnadak said Tuesday that the situation for RS President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik is not simple, but no individual is above the RS. “You will not hear a single word from me that will make the situation more difficult for Mr. Dodik, which is very complex and very serious, and not at all easy. But if they want to make Dodik the sacred cow of the RS, neither I personally, nor PDP, will participate in that. He is not a sacred thing. The only sacred thing is the RS, its territory, people, competences and institutions, and no individual is above the RS. No individual may tie his personal political destiny to the RS. What we are hearing, hundreds of pathetic “protections” through various statements and letters, does not help him at all. Two days ago, Mr. Dodik stated that SNSD will vote for the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC), which means that it recognizes the Court and the Prosecutor's Office of B&H, because that law precisely determines the relations in those two institutions. And that is why it is now most important that he focus on his defense, if the indictment is confirmed,” Crnadak said.

 

Trivic: People’s Front will in no way participate in the alleged homogenization attempt around the false president Milorad Dodik (ATV)

Leader of People’s Front Jelena Trivic commented on the indictment filed against RS President Milorad Dodik. “People’s Front will in no way participate in the alleged homogenization attempt around the false president Milorad Dodik, because he is not the same as the RS as some are trying to present”, Trivic said. She points out that Dodik is considered by members of his party as one of the main generators of the crisis, and responsible for the political and economic consequences suffered by the RS and its people. “For all those topics that concern the common man, the authorities did not listen, and now they are calling for homogenization to save the skin of the fake president, even though they themselves caused and wished for the problems in which they are now”, Trivic underlined.

 

Dodik on German media claims Vucic directs his policy towards Moscow (RTRS)

 

RS President Milorad Dodik commented on claims of German media that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic directed his policy towards Moscow and that domination of Serbia in the Balkans must be broken. Dodik said that the narrative about B&H and the region, cherished in German press has not moved far from the narrative from the 1990s of the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia, in which in his opinion, Germany played the most important role. Dodik said that it is interesting that German press is not dealing with Western Balkan states as sovereign states in which those who were elected should be the ones who decide. Dodik argued that in this way, they deal with fake HR who is illegally in B&H and potential German occupation of the Balkans.

 

Milanovic awards the 1st Poskok Battalion of HVO in Siroki Brijeg, comments on Election Law of B&H, HR, indictment against Dodik (Hayat/Nova BH)

 

President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanovic visited Siroki Brijeg on Tuesday where he awarded the 1st Poskok Battalion of the Croat Defense Council (HVO) with the Order of the Croatian Trefoil for the special merits of its members in the Croatian Homeland War. Hayat reminded that the commander of the 1st Poskok Battalion of HVO was convicted war criminal Mladen Naletilic Tuta and that the Tribunal in The Hague connects this HVO unit with the crimes against Bosniaks of Jablanica. Hayat stressed that for Milanovic, the indictment against RS President Milorad Dodik is an invented criminal offense, and it is he who is trying to stop stupidity and injustice. “As long as the High Representatives, whoever gave them the mandate, the Security Council or some power center in Paris, Berlin or London, it is not clear, as long as they have the instinct, interest and will to change the laws of this country with decrees so that this or that would be achieved, to issue an indictment for a newly invented criminal offense, and they have no time and no interest in changing the Election Law of this country, which they can do with one signature of a pen and make it possible or impossible for non-Croats to elect the representatives of Croats in the Presidency, as long as that pen is as light as a feather at one moment and in another moment heavier than a marble boulder, I do not believe in such justice and it is my duty to talk about it,” Milanovic underlined. Milanovic said that he honestly wishes and gives his great contribution for B&H to be an organized state in which Croats will live as one of the three constituent peoples, adding that he believes that the Croatian government does the same thing.

 

Helez and Sattler meet to discuss cooperation and current situation (Avaz)

 

B&H Defense Minister Zukan Helez met with Head of EU Delegation Johann Sattler on Tuesday. The discussed the focal activities in the defense sector, current political situation in B&H, cooperation of EU institutions with B&H Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces, regional challenges caused by the war in Ukraine and floods in Slovenia. They agreed that cooperation of B&H Defense Ministry with the EU institutions brings many benefits to the defense institutions of B&H. Helez noted that the EU is helping a lot to strengthen the demining capacities of B&H Armed Forces. He reminded that the EU donated EUR 20 million for this purpose. Helez also emphasized the importance of continuation of the EUFOR Althea mission and underlined that due to the current political situation, it is necessary to increase the number of EUFOR troops present in B&H. Helez stated that B&H institutions need to be more active in implementing the 14 Key Priorities for B&H’s progress on the path to the EU. Sattler and Helez expressed hope that the political situation in B&H will stabilize soon and that B&H, with the help of the EU, will be able to make progress by October, when the report on implementation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement will be presented. Helez thanked Sattler for the assistance with accelerating the process of ratification of the agreement on IPA III program which will allow exemption from value added tax on donated equipment. Sattler and Helez emphasized that there is no alternative to EU integration. Sattler commended the overall good cooperation of the EU with B&H Defense Ministry and Armed Forces.

 

Schmidt meets new French Ambassador to B&H Delmas (Avaz)

 

High Representative Christian Schmidt met with the newly appointed French Ambassador to B&H Francois Delmas. “The High Representative thanked France for their constructive commitment to a sustainable political and economic future of B&H. HR Schmidt expressed his conviction that the very good cooperation with this important European Country will continue and further develop, immediately after the Ambassador presents his credentials to the B&H Presidency,” reads OHR’s statement.

 

Media learn Bosniak soldier attacks Serb colleague in military barracks in Pazaric (RTRS)

 

RTRS learns that a Bosniak soldier attacked with a knife his Serb colleague in the military barracks ‘Zaim Imamovic’ in Pazaric, in the basic training center of training and doctrine command of the B&H Armed Forces in the night between Monday and Tuesday. According to RTRS, the B&H Ministry of Defense is trying to cover up this case denying that the conflict was ethnic-based. The cantonal police arrested the attacker although as RTRS claims, the State Investigation and the Protection Agency (SIPA) is in charge for joint institutions of B&H. RTRS also learns that B&H Minister of Defense Zukan Helez urgently reacted and reached a decision to suspend the Bosniak soldier from the training.

 

Spajic: Meeting was very good, various opinions about participation of ZBCG in government (CdM)

 

The Prime Minister-designate for the composition of the 44th government and the president of the Europe Now Movement Milojko Spajic discussed the formation of the executive power with the representatives of the political parties that supported him for the mandate. After the negotiations, he announced that the meeting was very good, that there were different opinions about the participation of ZBCG in the government, and that there was no talk about the distribution of portfolios. “I thanked everyone for their support. The meeting was very good. A team that is heterogeneous finds the principles acceptable. There was no mention of the distribution of portfolios. There were no special requests. Everything went better than expected. Just by supporting the vision, they nominated themselves for the future part of the government,” Spajic told reporters after the meeting. He emphasized that there is no time to lose. “We must contribute to the EU accession process. A big job is ahead of us. There were different opinions about the participation of ZBCG in the government. The time has come for a new, undivided Montenegro with a clear goal and vision. If we continue at this pace, we are convinced that we will form the government even faster than the legal deadline,” said Spajic. According to him, specific functions and positions are something that I will not discuss today. “He who does not believe never succeeds,” he said in response to the question of whether he will be able to gather everyone in the government. He reiterated the goals for improving living standards on the minimum wage.

 

Mandic after meeting Spajic and Democrats: We’re very satisfied, we didn’t discuss the position of parliament speaker (CdM)

 

We concluded that a new government should be formed as soon as possible. We want to establish the government which would do a great job in the next four years and change Montenegro. You know we have a lot of obligations we neglected in 2020 because there wasn’t enough political support in the parliament, said one of the leaders of the bloc ‘For the Future of Montenegro’, Andrija Mandic, following the meeting with PM-designate, Milojko Spajic, and the Democrats officials. Asked whether they discussed the position of parliament speaker and getting the energy sector, Mandic underlined that they had made a big step forward in another direction and hadn’t talked about the positions. “We didn’t discuss the position of parliament speaker.”

 

Becic: No allocation of positions and functions was mentioned at the meeting (CdM)

 

Leader of the Democrats Aleksa Becic says that no allocation of positions was mentioned at the meeting today. “We focused on other issues,” he told the press. According to him, there were no open issues between the Democrats and PM-designate. “I hope that we’ll get a successful and finished project and the 44th government of Montenegro as soon as possible.”

The Prime Minister-designate Milojko Spajic didn’t want to give a statement.

 

Greek officials at the protest, Rama: the electoral crime is not a matter of minority rights (Radio Tirana)

 

Observance of the Law in Albania is the demand of Prime Minister Edi Rama to Greek officials, who have protested against the arrest of Fredi Beleri, the elected mayor of Municipality of Himara. The head of the Albanian government has responded to Greece's claims on the 'Beleri case' and their accusations of violations of human rights and property rights, by considering them not based on concrete facts. According to Rama, the issue of the properties of the Greek minorities does not differ from the overall inherited problem of Albania with the properties of all citizens, problems that, as he points out, will be dealt with continuously. "In these terms and with the conviction also on "the connection of this issue with the general aspect of fundamental rights or the pending issue of Greek minority properties in the area of ​​the municipality in question, and with accusations of violation of their borders by the state", as written in the letter of Mr. Schinas, a protest took place yesterday organized by Greek politicians in the centre of Himara! (As a matter of fact, this conviction of the Greek friends is not based on even a single concrete fact, which could prove that in Albania there is really a specific problem of rights or property for the Greek minority, which differs from the overall inherited problem of Albania with the properties of all Albanian citizens, an issue which we have treated and will continuity to treat with respect, with patience and with the language of facts with official Athens)", writes Rama. Focusing on the presence of the head of the Municipality of Athens and that of Thessaloniki at the protest held yesterday (August 14) in Himara for the release of Beleri, Rama writes that such a case, when the elected officials of a democratic state organize a protest in another democratic state, against the authorities of this state, it has never happened before. Albanian Prime Minister emphasizes that the Greek nationality cannot provide for an Albanian citizen who is accused by SPAK (The Special Prosecutor’s Office against Corruption and Organized Crime), a different status from other Albanians arrested with the same charges and who are today in custody. "But who can and how can today be released from prison an Albanian citizen of Greek nationality, who, as a mayoral candidate, is accused by the Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption of Organized Crime (SPAK), to have committed the crime of buying votes - for which the Crime Code of Albania is clear and drastic - while according to the unchanged decision in the three Court degrees, he cannot leave the detention until the end of the judicial process against him?! Does the Greek nationality give the Albanian citizen accused by SPAK and kept in custody by the country's courts, a different status from 48 other Albanian citizens with Albanian nationality, including several mayors from my [political] party, who are currently detained under the same body's charges, with identical decisions of the same the court?!" ends the Prime Minister’s rhetorical question. While considering the neighboring country's reactions on Beleri case a "surreal show" and politicization of an Albanian Justice case, Rama expresses regret that one such a case, which is being handled by the Judiciary on the accusation of electoral crime, has been presented by Greece as a case of the Greek minority rights. "But I cannot hide the great regret in the face of the surreal appearance of the intervention of the Greek side in an Albanian Justice case, to the point that the statements from Athens and the attempts of our Greek friends in Brussels, to present this case, treated until at present by the Justice as an electoral crime accusation, as a matter of the Greek minority rights, get escalated by a protest of this nature, unparalleled in the history of Europe - at least to my knowledge!", writes Rama among others.