(GHM/IFEX) – On 3 March 2000, novelist Mimis Androulakis and his publisher Thanasis Kastaniotis were indicted for blasphemy by a Salonica prosecutor for breach of Article 199 of the Penal Code, for allegedly committing blasphemy against a religion and its founder. In Androulakisâ new book “M to the Nth Power”, he reportedly presents Jesus Christ […]
(GHM/IFEX) – On 3 March 2000, novelist Mimis Androulakis and his publisher Thanasis Kastaniotis were indicted for blasphemy by a Salonica prosecutor for breach of Article 199 of the Penal Code, for allegedly committing blasphemy against a religion and its founder.
In Androulakisâ new book “M to the Nth Power”, he reportedly presents Jesus Christ as having had sexual relationships and out-of-wedlock children. On 4 February, charges were brought against the two men by three fundamentalist Orthodox Christians. The expedient indictment, without any prior investigation of the charges, is a very rare procedure used only for serious crimes.
It is also noteworthy that in late January fundamentalist Christians from Salonica burnt copies of the book the day it was presented publicly and attacked the bookstore where the launch was taking place. No arrests were made at the time and no charges have been brought against the perpetrators of these actions. On the contrary, in the following days Archbishop Christodoulos condemned the attacks, but also publicly stated that the book was blasphemous and implied that there was a need to bring charges for blasphemy against the novelist. Greek newspapers claim that the prosecutor’s action was a consequence of the archbishop’s statements.
The indictment was condemned by politicians across the political spectrum, including Foreign Minister George Papandreou, who compare the prosecution of the novelist and his publisher to that of Galileo by the Catholic Church.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
- denouncing the indictment for blasphemy
- asking for the charges to be quashed
- recalling that books are intellectual works of fiction which cannot be considered blasphemous or libellous
Appeals To
George Papandreou
Foreign Minister
Athens, Greece
Fax: +30 1 36 81 433
Dimitris Reppas
Minister of Press and Information
Athens, Greece
Fax: +30 1 36 06 969
Evangelos Yannopoulos
Minister of Justice
Athens, Greece
Fax : +30 1 77 55 835
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
