The Macedonian Tendency: US State Department (again!) Takes Greece to Task Over Ethnic Macedonian Minorit y Rights

Monday, September 25, 2006

US State Department (again!) Takes Greece to Task Over Ethnic Macedonian Minorit y Rights

I love ironies and this is a big one.There are a number of psuedo-human rights groups, starting with Radio Free Europe and Freedom House, which ignore human rights abuses against ethnic Macedonians by the Greek government. These groups are funded by the US government. However, US government reports, such as this one on religion,and one on human rights, put a spotlight on Greek government abuses. If someone can put together a good analysis as to why this should be so, I would love to hear it.

Greece
International Religious Freedom Report 2006
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor


In May 2004, Nikodim Tsarknias, a former Greek Orthodox priest who is now a
priest of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, was sentenced to three months in
prison, a sentence which was suspended by the Aridea Criminal Court of
First Instance, on charges of establishing and operating a church without
authorization after he held Macedonian language religious services without
a house of prayer permit. Tsarknias's sentence could not be appealed in the
country; he intended to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

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