Monday, January 12, 2009

Greek human rights activist accused of high treason

Panayotis Dimitras, head of the human rights organisation, Greek Helsiniki Monitor is facing possible charges of high treason and if convicted a life sentence for speaking out about minority rights in Greece.

The Athens chief presecutors office has instigated a preliminary investigation into Dimitras's violation of article 138, paragraph 1 of the Greek criminal code which states, which states: “one who attempts by force or by threat of force to detach from the Greek State territory belonging to it or to include territory of the Greek State in another state shall be punished by death” (another article commutes death sentences to life sentences) after a complaint was received from far right nationalist and lawyer, Konstantinos Plevris in October 2007 over Dimitras's articles on  Macedonian minorities in Greece. It should be noted that Plevris was convicted of inciting racial hatred in December 2007 over the publication of his book, his book “Jews: The Whole Truth,” which denies the Holocaust took place.

In addition, according to the World Organisation Against Torture, Thanos Plevris,  MP for the far right LAOS party and son,and political associate of Mr. Kostas Plevris, also tabled a question in April 2008, asking the Greek minister for Justice to invoke his right to ask for a criminal investigation against Dimitras and the Macedonian minority political party, Rainbow.

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