Court censors dictionary

(GHM/IFEX) – GMH would like to issue the following clarification of the meaning of the term “Pontic”, which was the subject of an Application for Summary Measures against the “Dictionary of Modern Greek Language”, written by Professor George Babiniotis. The application was heard on 20 July 1998, by a Salonica court, for the entry of […]

(GHM/IFEX) – GMH would like to issue the following clarification of the
meaning of the term “Pontic”, which was the subject of an Application for
Summary Measures against the “Dictionary of Modern Greek Language”, written
by Professor George Babiniotis. The application was heard on 20 July 1998,
by a Salonica court, for the entry of the abusive meaning of the word
“Pontic.” “Pontics” is a term which refers to Greeks from the Black Sea who
were “repatriated” at various times during the 20th century and also has a
pejorative meaning of “very naive, stupid.”

**Corrects information contained in IFEX alert of 29 July 1998**
The full text of the alert of 29 July 1998 follows:

**Updates IFEX alert of 27 May 1998**

(GHM/IFEX) – On 13 July 1998, the “Single-Member First Instance Court of
Salonica.
Procedure for Summary Measures” (Judge Nikolaos Tsakos), with its 18134/1998
Verdict, ordered “the removal from the “Dictionary of Modern Greek
Language”, in every future reprint or edition (…) of the entry “Bulgarian
(…) 2. (abusive) the follower or player of a Salonica team (mainly PAOK).”

It also threatened the book’s author (Professor George Babiniotis) and
publisher with a fine of 2,000,000 drachmas (US$6,500) each, and also
threatened the former with a month’s detention if the order was not applied.

The court ruled that the entry in question offended the personality of the
plaintiff (lawyer and elected City Councillor of Salonica Theodore
Aspasidis), and that “it creates confusion about the national origins of the
players and the followers of PAOK (a soccer team based in Thessaloniki,
northern Greece) and more generally the Macedonians.”

The verdict stated that the abusive meaning should not have been included in
the dictionary as its use is occasional and not sustained. It was based on
the following explanation, quoted by the judge in his verdict:

“A good dictionary does not simply record linguistic reality but also aims
at instructing the reader. We turn to it to learn. For that reason,
linguistic reality recorded therein, i.e. the use of a particular word, must
be the one that has in some way been consecrated in Greek society, that is
has been generalized and sustained. Occasional or isolated use is not
enough. The aforementioned word ‘Bulgarian’, in its abusive meaning, has
been probably used by an insignificant portion of football fans from
Southern Greece, in fact more as a slogan than with the meaning of the
word.” (see M. Stathopoulos, ‘A dictionary between Justice and Scholarship’
in the ‘Eleftherotypia’ daily, 15 June 1998).

The Stathopoulos article is indeed accurately quoted in the verdict. GHM
needs to regrettably mention that Professor M. Stathopoulos is the Chairman
of the newly formed “National Human Rights Commission” in Greece and of the
non-governmental organisation “Citizens Against Racism.”

A second “Application for Summary Measures” against that dictionary was
heard on 20 July 1998, by a similar Salonica court, for the entry of the
abusive meaning of the word “Pontic.” “Pontics” is a pejorative term which
refers to Greeks from the Black Sea who were “repatriated” at various times
during the 20th century.

The only positive development was the motion to the Supreme Court by its
Prosecutor, Panayote Dimopoulos, released on 24 July 1998, asking for the
cassation of the verdict. In this motion, the Prosecutor reverses the
verdict’s rationale, in relation to both the offense to the personality of
the plaintiff and the criteria for the entries in the dictionary.
Furthermore, P. Dimopoulos added that the Court made a “spurious and
erroneous interpretation of the related articles of the civil code, instead
of defending freedom of expression and scholarly research.”

On 24 July 1998, Greek Helsinki Monitor wrote to the President of the
Supreme Court stating its disagreement with the verdict’s rationale and
interpretation of the laws, and requesting that the Supreme Court instructs
the lower courts how to avoid such erroneous interpretations which shatter
the credibility of the courts in Greece.

Recommended Action

Mr. Costas Simitis

Prime Minister of Greece

Maximou Megaron

Athens

Fax: +30-1-6716183