(GHM/IFEX) -GHM was informed on 1 June 2001 by Sotiris Bletsas that the First Appeals Court of Athens will hear his case on 3 July. Bletsas, a member of the Society for Aromanian (Vlach) Culture, was sentenced on 2 February to fifteen months in prison and fined 500,000 drs. (approx. US$1,400) for dissemination of false […]
(GHM/IFEX) -GHM was informed on 1 June 2001 by Sotiris Bletsas that the First Appeals Court of Athens will hear his case on 3 July. Bletsas, a member of the Society for Aromanian (Vlach) Culture, was sentenced on 2 February to fifteen months in prison and fined 500,000 drs. (approx. US$1,400) for dissemination of false information (under Article 191 of the penal code).
The charges were based on Bletsas’ distribution of a publication of the European Union’s (EU) semi-official European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages (EBLUL – in which Bletsas was the Greek “observer”) at an Aromanian festival, in July 1995. The document made mention of minority languages in Greece (Aromanian, Arvanite, Macedonian, Pomak, Turkish) and those in other EU member states. His prosecution was triggered by charges pressed by conservative New Democracy Deputy Eugene Haitidis. According to Bletsas, the prosecution’s witnesses included the Aromanian mayor of Prosotsani (Northern Greece). The latter considered the reference to the Vlach language as a minority language defamatory to the Vlachs. Bletsas appealed the sentence and was set free pending the appeal.
GHM considers the verdict obscurantist and a flagrant violation of freedom of expression. The organisation wonders why the Greek authorities have not prosecuted the authors of the publication, the EU and EBLUL, and/or those making it widely available in Greece, which include the EU delegation in Athens.
Following the conviction, there was an international outcry, including two questions tabled in the European Parliament. The first question was asked by two members of the European Parliament’s Green/Free Alliance group. Welsh MEP, Eurig Wyn, and Basque MEP, Gorka Knörr Borràs, asked the Commission if it considered that the sentence was “compatible with European values of freedom of expression and opinion and of cultural and linguistic diversity.” On 4 May, Commissioner Reding answered that: “The Commission considers this topic of high importance and follows it carefully. At this stage, the Commission is not able though to answer properly. That’s why the Commission has asked the Greek government to provide a copy of the sentence as soon as it will be ready and any other information related to this matter.”
It is widely believed that the swift setting of an appeals trial date is a reaction by the Greek state to the international outcry, and GHM hopes that the charges will be dropped by the Appeals Court.
Background Information
For background, texts on related parliamentary questions and reactions to the conviction, see the GHM website: www.greekhelsinki.gr. The English translation of the official transcripts of the first court case will become available on that website shortly.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
– condemning the verdict and the authorities’ attitude as a violation of freedom of expression and an indication of acute intolerance towards minorities
– asking for a condemnation of the verdict, and the quashing of the charges on 3 July 2001
– asking that Greece abolish its intolerant policies towards minorities, acknowledge the presence of national and linguistic minorities, as well as sign and ratify the European Charter on Regional or Minority Languages, and ratify the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities it signed in 1997
Appeals To
George Papandreou
Foreign Minister
Athens, Greece
Fax: +30 1 36 81 433
Email: gpap@mfa.gr
Dimitris Reppas
Minister of Press and Information
Athens, Greece
Fax: +30 1 36 06 969
Professor Mihalis Stathopoulos
Minister of Justice
Athens, Greece
Fax : +30 1 77 55 835
Romano Prodi
President of EU Commission
Email: sg-info@cec.eu.int
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
