Albania: Greek Mayor Sentenced to Prison [BalkanInsight.com, 21.04.2009]+Comment

Albania: Greek Mayor Sentenced to Prison [BalkanInsight.com, 21.04.2009]+Comment

Tirana | 21 April 2009 |

A court in the city of Vlora Albania, sentenced on Tuesday, to a six-month prison term and a 500,000 Lek (€3,800) fine, an ethnic-Greek mayor who was indicted for ordering the dismantlement of road signs because they were not bilingual, causing subsequent traffic chaos and damage to public property.

Mayor Vasil Bollano of the town of Himara on Albania’s coast, ordered the removal of road signs in December 2007, arguing that the signs should also have been written in Greek, as he considers the area a Greek-minority zone.

The removal of the road signs caused traffic chaos because they were along a section of road that belongs to Albania’s coast which is very popular with tourists. Prosecutors filed charges against Bollano for abuse of power, arguing that his actions were against the law and that the removed signs cost Albanian taxpayers roughly €170,000.

During the final hearing of the case, Bollano's lawyer tried to paint his client's indictment as politically motivated and xenophobic because Bollano is also the head of an ethnic Greek minority organization 'Omonia'. However, prosecutors rebuffed those statements by arguing that this was not possible as the mayor himself had declared his nationality as Albanian during questioning.

According to the ruling, the mayor will also be barred for three years from holding public office.

Bollano’s statements have gotten him in hot water before. He has previously declared large areas of southern Albania as 'Greek land' and claimed autonomy for the region.

Estimates of the Greek minority in Albania range from two to seven per cent of the total population.

Himara

Tirana has also turned down his demands for 'special status', arguing that the size of the local Greek community is far too small to warrant such status. At the same time, Tirana treads carefully with the mayor, mindful of its powerful neighbour to the south.

However, the government’s tread-lightly approach has angered some Albanians who feel Tirana has been too lenient on Bollano. They have been infuriated by his threats that if the authorities make any major moves against him, Albania’s EU aspirations will be compromised.

That Greece is host to Albania’s largest emigrant community in Europe, and that their remittances are a lifeline for its weak economy, especially in the south, is another aspect to factor into the equation. Although Athens broadly supports Albania's goal of eventual EU and NATO membership, it has also shown it is ready to use the fate of the countless Albanian immigrants in Greece as a political pawn when the going gets tough.

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Comment
Yet another instance of Balkan attitude to Minority Rights! Six-months prison and a fine because he "the dismantlement of road signs" that cost "Albanian taxpayers roughly €170,000" (that must have been a LOT of roadsighns!!).

"The removal of the road signs caused traffic chaos because they were along a section of road that belongs to Albania’s coast which is very popular with tourists.": The signs were removed "in December 2007". One wonders just how many tourists visited the Albanian coast in Christmas 2007 so that "The removal of the road signs caused traffic chaos because they were along a section of road that belongs to Albania’s coast which is very popular with tourists."

"Bollano is also the head of an ethnic Greek minority organization 'Omonia'." Here, then we have the real reasons behind the whole affair.

"According to the ruling, the mayor will also be barred for three years from holding public office." And that is what the authorities were really aiming at!

"During the final hearing of the case, Bollano's lawyer tried to paint his client's indictment as politically motivated and xenophobic because Bollano is also the head of an ethnic Greek minority organization 'Omonia'. However, prosecutors rebuffed those statements by arguing that this was not possible as the mayor himself had declared his nationality as Albanian during questioning.": One of the more amazing points of the whole process: The authorities conclude that you cannot be a member of an ethnic minority if...you declare your nationality to be Albanian! I wonder what would happen if the rest of the Balkans countries applied the same definition to ethnic Albanians living outside Albania!?

PS
BalkanInsight.com might want to be a bit more careful when accepting to publish one-sided stories like the present one!