ΤΑ ΠΑΝΗΓΥΡΙΑ ΣΤΗ ΜΕΛΙΤΗ ΦΛΩΡΙΝΑΣ ΚΑΙ Η ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΚΗ ΜΕΙΟΝΟΤΗΤΑ

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΡΙΟ ΤΩΝ ΣΥΜΦΩΝΙΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΕΛΣΙΝΚΙ

(Ελληνική Εθνική Επιτροπή της Διεθνούς Ομοσπονδίας Ελσίνκι για τα Ανθρώπινα Δικαιώματα)

& ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΟΜΑΔΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΑ ΔΙΚΑΙΩΜΑΤΑ ΤΩΝ ΜΕΙΟΝΟΤΗΤΩΝ

(Ελληνικό Τμήμα της Διεθνούς Ομάδας για τα Δικαιώματα των Μειονοτήτων)

Τ.Θ. 51393, 14510 Κηφισιά, Tηλ. 620.01.20; Fax: 807.57.67; E-mail: helsinki@compulink.gr

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ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ

 

 

31/7/1996

 

ΘΕΜΑ: ΤΑ ΠΑΝΗΓΥΡΙΑ ΣΤΗ ΜΕΛΙΤΗ ΦΛΩΡΙΝΑΣ ΚΑΙ Η ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΚΗ ΜΕΙΟΝΟΤΗΤΑ

 

 

Τετραμελής αποστολή του Ελληνικού Παρατηρητηρίου των Συμφωνιών του Ελσίνκι και της Ελληνικής Ομάδας για τα Δικαιώματα των Μειονοτήτων

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GREEK HELSINKI MONITOR

(Greek National Committee of the International Helsinki Federation)

& MINORITY RIGHTS GROUP - GREECE

(Greek Affiliate of  Minority Rights Group International)

P.O. Box 51393, GR-14510 Kifisia, Greece

Tel. 30-1-620.01.20; Fax: 30-1-807.57.67; E-mail: helsinki@compulink.gr

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PRESS RELEASE

 

16/10/1996

 

TOPIC: GREEK AUTUMN IN HUMAN RIGHTS

 

Greek Helsinki Monitor and Minority Right Group - Greece deplore the continuing multiple violations of human rights in Greece. Specifically, in the beginning of autumn 1996, besides the most nationalist, intolerant if not racist electoral campaign the country has experienced in the post-1974 period:

1.    Harassment of minority media. Namely, in September 1996, the Greek Post Office (ELTA) refused to mail the publication Moglena of the “Human Rights Movement of the Macedonians in Greece” with the preferential low rate for similar publications, claiming that it was not fulfilling criteria that mosdt of the other publications benefiting from such rates do not fulfill either. Moreover, the representatives of the above publication as well as of the publication Zora of the Rainbow party have been summoned on 9/10/1996 by the police in an investigation for criminal proceedings related to their content. Also, the same day, an administrative court postponed the official registration of the latter’s title to look into ‘possible confusion’ that the tilte may create at the expense of a printing house called Ora. Turkish-language Radio Icik in Komotini goes on trial on 24/10/1996, for illegal broadcasting between 1/8/1994-15/9/1995, when it is well known that nearly all non-state radio stations operate illegally, only because of the failure of the authorities to issue the appropriate licences. Finally, Turkish-language newspaper Trakya’Nin Sesi goes on trial on 9/1/1997 for defamation for an article whose critical content does not go beyond the usual tone of Greek media.

2.    Harassment of minority citizen. On 16/8/1996, the prefect of Pella rejected the request of Nicholas Stoidis to change his last name back into Stojanov -his ‘indigenous Bulgaromacedonian’ -as N. Stoidis calls him- grandfather’s name that was forcefully “hellenized” in 1913. The rejection was based on three citizens’ objections which though were never given to N; Stoidis. In the meantime, Stoidis’ request, though classified ‘top secret’ by the administration- was leaked to the media with the obvious purpose that Stoidis be harassed by those objecting to his request, which did in fact happen in both local and national media.

3.    Harassment of human rights activists. In the last two months, state security forces tailed a Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) & Danish Helsinki Committee visit in minority villages in Thrace; and a Greek Helsinki Monitor’s meeting with a Macedonian activist in Florina. Moreover, they confirmed that they tap the telephones of human rights and/or minority activists, as in two articles written by journalists close to the Greek Foreign Ministry, details of meetings of a guest of our organization which were known only to those involved were reported; finally, security forces attempted to indimidate a GHM activist when they showed up in the neighborhood of her parents’ home asking questions about her ‘dealings with Skopje and Bulgaria’ -her passport has visas from these countries- and her other activities.

4.    Harassment of diplomats. Many diplomats stationed in Athens have reported to our organizations that the Greek Foreign Ministry has been repeatedly attempting at dissuading them from visitng minority inhabited areas in Thrace and Western Macedonia, including through giving to the media details about their moves with the purpose that hostile qrtciels be written. Besides, when making these visits, they are being tailed by security forces which have often prevented them from visitng villages in the supposedly abolished ‘security zone’ in Thrace.

5.    Harassment by the courts. Two recent court cases are indicative of the attitude of the public prosecutors and the courts in respecting both the principle of fair trial as well as freedom of speech and of religion. In the trial of  -eventually acquitted- Panteios Professor George Roussis (7&10/10) for ‘praising a committeed felony’ -for statements he had made in 1995 explaining the motiations of youngsters who had burned the Greek flag-, the presiding judge was constatntly interrupting most witnesses for the defense while allowing long lectures by witnesses for the prosecution. The same happened in the administrative trial against the Scientologists’ “Greek Center for Applied Philosophy” (KEFE), where the presiding judge insisted on having GHM Spokesperson and witness for the defense expalin why he asked to take the oath on his honor and not on the Gospel; and allowed many questions by lawyers of the Church of Greece as to the religious beliefs of the witness; in the same trial, the prosecutor followed the prefect’s demand for the dissolution of KEFE for alleged -and unfounded during the proceedings- ‘proselytism of youngsters’ and for the fact that the Scientologists’ beliefs ‘are negatively perceived in Greece and internationally.’

 

All this happens against the background of multiple international condemnation and denunciation of Greece for human rights violations. The country has been condemned by the European Court for Human Rights for violation of Article 9 (on religious freedom) for having shut down a Jehovah’s Witness ‘house of worship.’ She has   been singled out too more than any other EU member by the European Parliament (in the annual report on human rights). Also, the European Commission of Human Rights has given admissibility to the appeal of the “Shelter of Macedonian Culture” whose registration has been refused by the Greek courts, and Greece runs the risk of beinmg condemned for violation of Article 11 (on freedom of association). Finally, the recently released reports by the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights and the Federation Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l’ Homme denounce at length Greece for similar and for other human rights violations in previous months or  years.

 

Our organizations appeal publicly to the Greek government and especially to the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Professor Christos Rozakis (who as a memeber of the European Commission for Human Rights has introduced or voted all condemnations of or admissibilities against Greece) to radically change thye country’s human rights policies lest the country be singled out not just as an ‘anomaly in the EU’ but also as amonmg the worse Balkan and OSCE countries in terms of their human rights record. The immediate signing and ratification of the UN’s ICCPR (that only Greece and Turkey have not signed) will be the immediate first step; and the amendment of Artciles 19 and 20 of the citizenship code (used against minority citizens) and the abolition of the notorious ‘cultural affairs offices’ in Thrace -with the same ‘irremovable’ civil servants there for the last 25 years! would signal a real turn around.