Amnesty International Urges Greek Authorities to End Unlawful ... - [ Bu sayfanın çevirisini yap ]Amnesty International has extensively researched human rights violations committed by law enforcement bodies in Greece and repeatedly called on the Greek ...
www.commondreams.org/newswire/2008/12/09-1
Good readings... Knowledge is power! Get it!
by insan » Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:41 pm
INTERNATIONAL HELSINKI FEDERATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - [ Bu sayfanın çevirisini yap ]On 11 June, the Greek Helsinki Monitor and Minority Rights Group-Greece ... the European Court of Human Rights found Greece in violation of the right to ...
www.eurasianet.org/resource/regional/ihf-greece.html
www.eurasianet.org/resource/regional/ihf-greece.html
-
insan - Main Contributor
- Posts: 9044
- Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2003 11:33 pm
- Location: Somewhere in ur network. ;]
by insan » Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:42 pm
UN Report Recommends Greece withdraw from Dispute over Existence of Macedonian Minority
United Macedonian Diaspora March 06, 2009The United Nations independent expert on minority issues and former Executive Director of Global Rights: Partners for Justice, Gay J. McDougall, visited Greece between September 8th and 16th of 2008. Under the auspices of the United Nations, she issued the United Nations official findings on the human rights of minorities in Greece on February 18, 2009. In the report, Ms. McDougall recommends that Greece withdraw from the dispute over whether there is a Macedonian or a Turkish minority within its borders. Rather, her report urges Greece to focus on protecting the rights of minorities in Greece to self-identification, freedom of expression and freedom of association. Further, the report recommends that Greece honor the rights of these communities to avail themselves of those minority protections listed in the Declaration on Minorities and those enumerated in numerous core international human rights treaties to which Greece is a signatory.
In addition, Greece is required to comply fully with the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, specifically those decisions that permit associations based in Greece to use the words "Macedonian" and "Turkish" in their names and to express their ethnic identities freely. While in Greece, McDougall traveled to different regions and consulted extensively with senior government representatives and public officials at national and regional levels. Discussions also were held with civil society organizations, religious leaders, academics and community leaders. The report´s findings focus on the extent to which legislation, policy and practice fulfill solemn obligations imposed upon signatories under international human rights law, including minority rights. The findings point out that these treaties take precedence over bilateral treaties and agreements.
A special section in the report refers to Macedonian minorities in the Florina/Lerin region. McDougall states that the Greek government does not recognize the existence of a Macedonian ethnic minority living in that part of Greece and it rejects the existence of the Macedonian language there. The response of earlier Greek governments was to suppress any use of the Macedonian language and discourage all related cultural activities. It is noted in the report that in recent times these harsh tactics, the findings continue, have ceased but those identifying themselves as ethnic Macedonians continue to report discrimination and harassment. "They consider it of crucial importance for their continued existence that their ethnic identity and distinctiveness is respected. The Macedonian language is not recognized, taught, or a language of tuition in schools" the report states.
McDougall reported that in the 1920s and 1930s, Greek laws required the replacement of non-Greek names of towns, villages, rivers and mountains with Greek names. The family names of the Macedonian-speaking population were also required to be changed to Greek names. Individuals seeking to re-instate Macedonian family names have had their petitions refused by authorities on administrative grounds. Community representatives note that traditional names continue to be in common usage and are on record calling for the reinstatement and the official acceptance of the use of a dual nomenclature (e.g., Florina/Lerin). The report notes that Greece only recognizes one minority, the Muslim religious minority in Western Thrace. It does not recognize the minority status of other existing communities. McDougall states in the report that she met numerous individuals who identified themselves as ethnic Macedonians and were fluent in the Macedonian language. She encountered others who are not fluent due to the absence of Macedonian language instruction in Greece. The Greek Government is convinced that claims of the existence of other minorities are unsubstantiated and politically motivated.
The report notes that many interviewees described pressure not to display their Macedonian identity or to speak Macedonian, previously banned in some villages. Notwithstanding their claim of the existence of distinct Macedonian-populated villages, they described a general fear to demonstrate their identity. Some recounted personal experiences of harassment including aggressive interrogation at borders, being physically attacked allegedly due to his ethnic identity and membership of the Rainbow Party (The political party in Greece that generally consists of Macedonians). The report quotes one representative as stating: "Greece does not trust the people who live here because they don´t feel Greek - they don´t speak Greek".
Representatives of the Macedonian minority state that the right to freedom of association has been denied and cite a string of unsuccessful efforts to do so dating back almost twenty years to 1990 to register the organization "Home of Macedonian Culture" in Florina. The Greek judiciary refused to register the organization on the grounds that its objective was to promote the concept that "there is a Macedonian minority in Greece, which is contrary to the national interest and subsequently contrary to law." In 1998, the European Court of Human Rights found Greece in violation of Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights relating to freedom of association. Subsequent domestic court decisions have failed to conform to the European Court finding and the Home of Macedonian Culture remains unregistered.
These same representatives pointed out a series of discriminatory laws adopted by the Greek government that affect the ability of the thousands of refugees who fled Greece during the Civil War, and who, by reason of these very laws, were stripped of their citizenship and property. A 1982 law (Law no. 106841), for example, stated that, "Free to return to Greece are all Greek by Genus who during the civil war of 1946-1949 and because of it have fled abroad as political refugees." This decision pointedly excludes those identifying themselves as ethnic Macedonians and is therefore considered discriminatory. Law No. 1540, promulgated in 1985, stipulated that political exiles may reclaim confiscated property, once again with the key proviso that only "Greeks by Genus" qualify.
This independent report under the auspices of the United Nations sheds a clarifying light on the circumstances underlying the existing and long-standing violation of the most basic human rights of the Macedonian community in Greece. The report provides a vital insight into the reasons why Greece has continued to overreach its jurisdiction and impose a change to the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia.
http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/view/93600
United Macedonian Diaspora March 06, 2009The United Nations independent expert on minority issues and former Executive Director of Global Rights: Partners for Justice, Gay J. McDougall, visited Greece between September 8th and 16th of 2008. Under the auspices of the United Nations, she issued the United Nations official findings on the human rights of minorities in Greece on February 18, 2009. In the report, Ms. McDougall recommends that Greece withdraw from the dispute over whether there is a Macedonian or a Turkish minority within its borders. Rather, her report urges Greece to focus on protecting the rights of minorities in Greece to self-identification, freedom of expression and freedom of association. Further, the report recommends that Greece honor the rights of these communities to avail themselves of those minority protections listed in the Declaration on Minorities and those enumerated in numerous core international human rights treaties to which Greece is a signatory.
In addition, Greece is required to comply fully with the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, specifically those decisions that permit associations based in Greece to use the words "Macedonian" and "Turkish" in their names and to express their ethnic identities freely. While in Greece, McDougall traveled to different regions and consulted extensively with senior government representatives and public officials at national and regional levels. Discussions also were held with civil society organizations, religious leaders, academics and community leaders. The report´s findings focus on the extent to which legislation, policy and practice fulfill solemn obligations imposed upon signatories under international human rights law, including minority rights. The findings point out that these treaties take precedence over bilateral treaties and agreements.
A special section in the report refers to Macedonian minorities in the Florina/Lerin region. McDougall states that the Greek government does not recognize the existence of a Macedonian ethnic minority living in that part of Greece and it rejects the existence of the Macedonian language there. The response of earlier Greek governments was to suppress any use of the Macedonian language and discourage all related cultural activities. It is noted in the report that in recent times these harsh tactics, the findings continue, have ceased but those identifying themselves as ethnic Macedonians continue to report discrimination and harassment. "They consider it of crucial importance for their continued existence that their ethnic identity and distinctiveness is respected. The Macedonian language is not recognized, taught, or a language of tuition in schools" the report states.
McDougall reported that in the 1920s and 1930s, Greek laws required the replacement of non-Greek names of towns, villages, rivers and mountains with Greek names. The family names of the Macedonian-speaking population were also required to be changed to Greek names. Individuals seeking to re-instate Macedonian family names have had their petitions refused by authorities on administrative grounds. Community representatives note that traditional names continue to be in common usage and are on record calling for the reinstatement and the official acceptance of the use of a dual nomenclature (e.g., Florina/Lerin). The report notes that Greece only recognizes one minority, the Muslim religious minority in Western Thrace. It does not recognize the minority status of other existing communities. McDougall states in the report that she met numerous individuals who identified themselves as ethnic Macedonians and were fluent in the Macedonian language. She encountered others who are not fluent due to the absence of Macedonian language instruction in Greece. The Greek Government is convinced that claims of the existence of other minorities are unsubstantiated and politically motivated.
The report notes that many interviewees described pressure not to display their Macedonian identity or to speak Macedonian, previously banned in some villages. Notwithstanding their claim of the existence of distinct Macedonian-populated villages, they described a general fear to demonstrate their identity. Some recounted personal experiences of harassment including aggressive interrogation at borders, being physically attacked allegedly due to his ethnic identity and membership of the Rainbow Party (The political party in Greece that generally consists of Macedonians). The report quotes one representative as stating: "Greece does not trust the people who live here because they don´t feel Greek - they don´t speak Greek".
Representatives of the Macedonian minority state that the right to freedom of association has been denied and cite a string of unsuccessful efforts to do so dating back almost twenty years to 1990 to register the organization "Home of Macedonian Culture" in Florina. The Greek judiciary refused to register the organization on the grounds that its objective was to promote the concept that "there is a Macedonian minority in Greece, which is contrary to the national interest and subsequently contrary to law." In 1998, the European Court of Human Rights found Greece in violation of Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights relating to freedom of association. Subsequent domestic court decisions have failed to conform to the European Court finding and the Home of Macedonian Culture remains unregistered.
These same representatives pointed out a series of discriminatory laws adopted by the Greek government that affect the ability of the thousands of refugees who fled Greece during the Civil War, and who, by reason of these very laws, were stripped of their citizenship and property. A 1982 law (Law no. 106841), for example, stated that, "Free to return to Greece are all Greek by Genus who during the civil war of 1946-1949 and because of it have fled abroad as political refugees." This decision pointedly excludes those identifying themselves as ethnic Macedonians and is therefore considered discriminatory. Law No. 1540, promulgated in 1985, stipulated that political exiles may reclaim confiscated property, once again with the key proviso that only "Greeks by Genus" qualify.
This independent report under the auspices of the United Nations sheds a clarifying light on the circumstances underlying the existing and long-standing violation of the most basic human rights of the Macedonian community in Greece. The report provides a vital insight into the reasons why Greece has continued to overreach its jurisdiction and impose a change to the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia.
http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/view/93600
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insan - Main Contributor
- Posts: 9044
- Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2003 11:33 pm
- Location: Somewhere in ur network. ;]
by insan » Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:44 pm
Greece: Euroconviction on Macedonians and state press bias
Reply-To: [email protected]
Sender: [email protected]
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 18:28:38 +0300 (EET DST)
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Subject: Greece: Euroconviction on Macedonians and state press bias
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Greek Helsinki Monitor <[email protected]>
Greece: Euroconviction on Macedonians and state press bias
GREEK HELSINKI MONITOR
& MINORITY RIGHTS GROUP - GREECE
___________________________________________________________________
PRESS RELEASE
13/7/1998
TOPIC: NEW CONVICTION OF GREECE BY THE EUROPEAN COURT ON MINORITY
ISSUES.
INADMISSIBLE ATTITUDE OF THE (GREEK STATE-OWNED) MACEDONIAN NEWS
AGENCY.
The cooperating organizations Greek Helsinki Monitor and Minority
Rights Group - Greece point out that the unanimous conviction of
Greece by the European Court of Human Rights, on 10/7/1998, is the
tenth conviction of the country for violation of the rights of
minorities which live in it. Greece was convicted for the violation of
the freedom of association (Article 11 of the relevant European
Convention), because the Greek courts did not allow in 1990 the
establishment of the "Home of Macedonian Civilization" (as translated
in English by the European Court).
Between 1993 and mid-1997, Greece was convicted seven times for
violations of the rights of Jehovah’s Witnesses: the cases concerned
either convictions by Greek courts for proselytism (1 case), for
refusal of their clergy to do military service (3), for the opening of
a house of worship (1); or expulsions of pupils from school for
refusal to participate in parades (1). In another case, Greece settled
and allowed a house of worship to operate to avoid another conviction.
In the course of the last seven months, Greece was convicted for the
violation of the rights of three other minorities. In December 1997,
for the refusal to recognize the legal personality of the Catholic
Church of Chanea (Crete); in February 1998, for the conviction of
Protestant military personnel for proselytism of civilians; and now,
in July 1998, for the establishment of an association by ethnic
Macedonians. There has been no conviction yet only for the Turkish
minority, as a case of the former deputy Sadik was rejected, despite
the positive recommendation of the Commission, for strictly procedural
reasons (non-exhaustion of legal remedies in Greece).
The most important argument of the recent Court decision is its
position towards the Greek courts’ and state’s view that the Home of
Macedonian Civilization was not allowed to be established as its
founding members did not aim simply at a cultural activity but at
supporting the view that there is a Macedonian minority. The latter is
known to be considered "non-existent" in Greece, an argument
documented by the Greek courts and state with evidence full of
"scholarly" quotes even from texts dating from the Nazi occupation
period: "a guide to Salonika written by German historians and
archaeologists during the last world war states that…" In countering
this argument, the European Court mentions the binding character for
Greece of the OSCE documents which the country has signed and which
have usually been considered merely declaratory and without any legal
value. The Court states that the aims of the Home are "clear and
legitimate" and adds:
"Even supposing that the founders of an association like the one in
the instant case assert a minority consciousness, the Document of the
Copenhagen Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the
CSCE (Section IV) of 29 June 1990 and the Charter of Paris for a New
Europe of 21 November 1990 – which Greece has signed – allow them to
form associations to protect their cultural and spiritual heritage.".
We consider as an important development that, the day after the
publication of the Court decision, six newspapers (Avghi, Ethnos,
Eleftherotypia, Exousia, Kathimerini, and Rizospastis) covered the
news in a correct journalistic way, something that happens for the
first time with respect to decisions of such "sensitivity," that
usually go deliberately unnoticed. They were certainly helped in that
by the news items of the two state agencies, the Athens News Agency
and the Macedonian News Agency (MPA), which reported immediately and
accurately the related news item of the French News Agency of 10/7. It
was therefore surprising to see that the MPA gave the impression to
have "regretted" the first objective coverage: on 11/7 it released two
lengthy and in essence rebutting items. In them, Greece’s conviction
was completely downplayed (in the first) or totally omitted (in the
second), as the purpose of these items was to show, as the title of
the third and last item showed, that:
"European Court Of Justice: The Defense Of The Greek Character Of
Macedonia Is Greece's Legal Right."
In the text of that news item, that title is explained by way of
distortions of, and by turning upside down the text of the court
decision (even with the use of quotation marks to make the forgery
more convincing). The item also distorts the meaning of the reference
to the OSCE decision while it presents mainly the views of the Greek
courts (which are naturally stated in the text of the European Court),
but in ways that could give the impression that they are adopted by
the latter. Finally, we need to point out that MPA chose to include in
its 11/7 English language bulletin only the distorted news item on
"Greece’s vindication" confirming the impression that the first,
objective coverage of the matter was "outside editorial policy."
We therefore call upon the Director of MPA and the supervising
Minister for the Press Mr. Reppas, who have both shown in the past
correct "sensitivity" on such matters, to make their views public on
this issue, which does not happen for the first time, in a way that
will exclude its repetition in the future. Thus, they will avoid the
international negative exposure of Greece as a country where the state
media can use principles of "journalism" which can be found only in
authoritarian regimes.
The complete text of the Court’s decision can be found at its Internet
address:
http://www.dhcour.coe.fr/eng/SIDIROPOUL ... 20ENG.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------
THE MACEDONIAN NEWS AGENCY NEWS ITEM
[08] EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE: THE DEFENSE OF THE GREEK CHARACTER OF
MACEDONIA IS GREECE'S LEGAL RIGHT
Web Posted: 16:35 GMT+2
Strasbourg, 11/07/1998 (MPA) It is the legal right of the Greek
authorities and the country's courts to face every attempt aimed at
disputing the Greek character of Macedonia and its residents as well
as, its territorial integrity, according to a European Court of
Justice ruling that was issued after examining an appeal that
challenged the Greek court decisions based on which, the establishment
of an association in Florina, north-western Greece had been rejected
because it indirectly raised the Macedonian issue.
The refusal of the Greek courts to recognize the association named
"The House of the Macedonian Culture" in Florina was based on law and
sought legal purposes, mentions the European Court of Justice, even
though it found that in the specific case the restriction of the
freedom to associate was not necessary. The court observed that if the
association's founders goals were illegal they could be faced by
dissolving the association in question based on article 105 of the
Civil Code.
The European Court of Justice in Strasbourg examined the case after an
appeal by four people, who adduced their alleged "Macedonian national
origin" and "Macedonian national conscience".
The European Court of Justice recognized as legitimate the Greek
courts right to face what they judged to be an intention to challenge
the Greek identity of Macedonia and its people as well as, the
country's territorial integrity, taking under consideration the
situation existing at that period of time (1990) in the Balkans and
the political differences between Greece and FYROM. In the decision is
made a specific reference to Greece's complaints over the threat that
FYROM's hostile propaganda was posing at the time of the events, its
attempt to claim that the name Macedonia was Slav and the inclusion of
certain articles in FYROM's Constitution toward that purpose as well
as, the systematic promotion of the nationalist idea of a "united
Macedonia".
_______________________________________________________________
THE FRENCH NEWS AGENCY NEWS ITEM
Greece condemned for discriminating against Macedonian minority
Fri 10 Jul 98 - 15:55 GMT
STRASBOURG, July 10 (AFP) - The European Court of Human Rights on
Friday condemned Greece for having banned an association called "The
House of Macedonian Civilisation."
Four people brought the case on behalf of a group of about 50 people
who said they were of ethnic Macedonian origin and had a "Macedonian
national consciousness."
The Court ruled that Greece had violated the applicants' right to
liberty of association. The plaintiffs come from Florina, northern
Greece, near the border with Macedonia. It awarded the applicants a
total of 40,000 drachmas (13,300 dollars) in costs. They had been
claiming nearly 100 million drachmas in damages and costs.
The Greek administration and court had refused to register the
association, ruling that its objective was to create a Macedonian Slav
state with access to the Aegean Sea.
The appeal court in Thessalonica based its decision on the belief that
the group wanted to challenge the Greek identity of the northern Greek
region of Macedonia, challenging the country's territorial integrity.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Greece was wrong to ban
the association, since it was not without means to pursue its leaders
if the activities did indeed prove to be dangerous.
Since Macedonia's independence from Belgrade in 1991, Athens has
disputed its right to use that name, saying it implies that the Skopje
government has territorial designs on the northern Greek province of
Macedonia.
It took until March this year for a Greek government spokesman to
refer to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) as
"Macedonia of Skopje".
http://www.minelres.lv/minelres/archive ... -9018.html
Reply-To: [email protected]
Sender: [email protected]
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 18:28:38 +0300 (EET DST)
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Subject: Greece: Euroconviction on Macedonians and state press bias
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Greek Helsinki Monitor <[email protected]>
Greece: Euroconviction on Macedonians and state press bias
GREEK HELSINKI MONITOR
& MINORITY RIGHTS GROUP - GREECE
___________________________________________________________________
PRESS RELEASE
13/7/1998
TOPIC: NEW CONVICTION OF GREECE BY THE EUROPEAN COURT ON MINORITY
ISSUES.
INADMISSIBLE ATTITUDE OF THE (GREEK STATE-OWNED) MACEDONIAN NEWS
AGENCY.
The cooperating organizations Greek Helsinki Monitor and Minority
Rights Group - Greece point out that the unanimous conviction of
Greece by the European Court of Human Rights, on 10/7/1998, is the
tenth conviction of the country for violation of the rights of
minorities which live in it. Greece was convicted for the violation of
the freedom of association (Article 11 of the relevant European
Convention), because the Greek courts did not allow in 1990 the
establishment of the "Home of Macedonian Civilization" (as translated
in English by the European Court).
Between 1993 and mid-1997, Greece was convicted seven times for
violations of the rights of Jehovah’s Witnesses: the cases concerned
either convictions by Greek courts for proselytism (1 case), for
refusal of their clergy to do military service (3), for the opening of
a house of worship (1); or expulsions of pupils from school for
refusal to participate in parades (1). In another case, Greece settled
and allowed a house of worship to operate to avoid another conviction.
In the course of the last seven months, Greece was convicted for the
violation of the rights of three other minorities. In December 1997,
for the refusal to recognize the legal personality of the Catholic
Church of Chanea (Crete); in February 1998, for the conviction of
Protestant military personnel for proselytism of civilians; and now,
in July 1998, for the establishment of an association by ethnic
Macedonians. There has been no conviction yet only for the Turkish
minority, as a case of the former deputy Sadik was rejected, despite
the positive recommendation of the Commission, for strictly procedural
reasons (non-exhaustion of legal remedies in Greece).
The most important argument of the recent Court decision is its
position towards the Greek courts’ and state’s view that the Home of
Macedonian Civilization was not allowed to be established as its
founding members did not aim simply at a cultural activity but at
supporting the view that there is a Macedonian minority. The latter is
known to be considered "non-existent" in Greece, an argument
documented by the Greek courts and state with evidence full of
"scholarly" quotes even from texts dating from the Nazi occupation
period: "a guide to Salonika written by German historians and
archaeologists during the last world war states that…" In countering
this argument, the European Court mentions the binding character for
Greece of the OSCE documents which the country has signed and which
have usually been considered merely declaratory and without any legal
value. The Court states that the aims of the Home are "clear and
legitimate" and adds:
"Even supposing that the founders of an association like the one in
the instant case assert a minority consciousness, the Document of the
Copenhagen Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the
CSCE (Section IV) of 29 June 1990 and the Charter of Paris for a New
Europe of 21 November 1990 – which Greece has signed – allow them to
form associations to protect their cultural and spiritual heritage.".
We consider as an important development that, the day after the
publication of the Court decision, six newspapers (Avghi, Ethnos,
Eleftherotypia, Exousia, Kathimerini, and Rizospastis) covered the
news in a correct journalistic way, something that happens for the
first time with respect to decisions of such "sensitivity," that
usually go deliberately unnoticed. They were certainly helped in that
by the news items of the two state agencies, the Athens News Agency
and the Macedonian News Agency (MPA), which reported immediately and
accurately the related news item of the French News Agency of 10/7. It
was therefore surprising to see that the MPA gave the impression to
have "regretted" the first objective coverage: on 11/7 it released two
lengthy and in essence rebutting items. In them, Greece’s conviction
was completely downplayed (in the first) or totally omitted (in the
second), as the purpose of these items was to show, as the title of
the third and last item showed, that:
"European Court Of Justice: The Defense Of The Greek Character Of
Macedonia Is Greece's Legal Right."
In the text of that news item, that title is explained by way of
distortions of, and by turning upside down the text of the court
decision (even with the use of quotation marks to make the forgery
more convincing). The item also distorts the meaning of the reference
to the OSCE decision while it presents mainly the views of the Greek
courts (which are naturally stated in the text of the European Court),
but in ways that could give the impression that they are adopted by
the latter. Finally, we need to point out that MPA chose to include in
its 11/7 English language bulletin only the distorted news item on
"Greece’s vindication" confirming the impression that the first,
objective coverage of the matter was "outside editorial policy."
We therefore call upon the Director of MPA and the supervising
Minister for the Press Mr. Reppas, who have both shown in the past
correct "sensitivity" on such matters, to make their views public on
this issue, which does not happen for the first time, in a way that
will exclude its repetition in the future. Thus, they will avoid the
international negative exposure of Greece as a country where the state
media can use principles of "journalism" which can be found only in
authoritarian regimes.
The complete text of the Court’s decision can be found at its Internet
address:
http://www.dhcour.coe.fr/eng/SIDIROPOUL ... 20ENG.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------
THE MACEDONIAN NEWS AGENCY NEWS ITEM
[08] EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE: THE DEFENSE OF THE GREEK CHARACTER OF
MACEDONIA IS GREECE'S LEGAL RIGHT
Web Posted: 16:35 GMT+2
Strasbourg, 11/07/1998 (MPA) It is the legal right of the Greek
authorities and the country's courts to face every attempt aimed at
disputing the Greek character of Macedonia and its residents as well
as, its territorial integrity, according to a European Court of
Justice ruling that was issued after examining an appeal that
challenged the Greek court decisions based on which, the establishment
of an association in Florina, north-western Greece had been rejected
because it indirectly raised the Macedonian issue.
The refusal of the Greek courts to recognize the association named
"The House of the Macedonian Culture" in Florina was based on law and
sought legal purposes, mentions the European Court of Justice, even
though it found that in the specific case the restriction of the
freedom to associate was not necessary. The court observed that if the
association's founders goals were illegal they could be faced by
dissolving the association in question based on article 105 of the
Civil Code.
The European Court of Justice in Strasbourg examined the case after an
appeal by four people, who adduced their alleged "Macedonian national
origin" and "Macedonian national conscience".
The European Court of Justice recognized as legitimate the Greek
courts right to face what they judged to be an intention to challenge
the Greek identity of Macedonia and its people as well as, the
country's territorial integrity, taking under consideration the
situation existing at that period of time (1990) in the Balkans and
the political differences between Greece and FYROM. In the decision is
made a specific reference to Greece's complaints over the threat that
FYROM's hostile propaganda was posing at the time of the events, its
attempt to claim that the name Macedonia was Slav and the inclusion of
certain articles in FYROM's Constitution toward that purpose as well
as, the systematic promotion of the nationalist idea of a "united
Macedonia".
_______________________________________________________________
THE FRENCH NEWS AGENCY NEWS ITEM
Greece condemned for discriminating against Macedonian minority
Fri 10 Jul 98 - 15:55 GMT
STRASBOURG, July 10 (AFP) - The European Court of Human Rights on
Friday condemned Greece for having banned an association called "The
House of Macedonian Civilisation."
Four people brought the case on behalf of a group of about 50 people
who said they were of ethnic Macedonian origin and had a "Macedonian
national consciousness."
The Court ruled that Greece had violated the applicants' right to
liberty of association. The plaintiffs come from Florina, northern
Greece, near the border with Macedonia. It awarded the applicants a
total of 40,000 drachmas (13,300 dollars) in costs. They had been
claiming nearly 100 million drachmas in damages and costs.
The Greek administration and court had refused to register the
association, ruling that its objective was to create a Macedonian Slav
state with access to the Aegean Sea.
The appeal court in Thessalonica based its decision on the belief that
the group wanted to challenge the Greek identity of the northern Greek
region of Macedonia, challenging the country's territorial integrity.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Greece was wrong to ban
the association, since it was not without means to pursue its leaders
if the activities did indeed prove to be dangerous.
Since Macedonia's independence from Belgrade in 1991, Athens has
disputed its right to use that name, saying it implies that the Skopje
government has territorial designs on the northern Greek province of
Macedonia.
It took until March this year for a Greek government spokesman to
refer to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) as
"Macedonia of Skopje".
http://www.minelres.lv/minelres/archive ... -9018.html
-
insan - Main Contributor
- Posts: 9044
- Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2003 11:33 pm
- Location: Somewhere in ur network. ;]
by insan » Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:45 pm
Europe to condemn Greece’s treatment of Macedonians not- ing a high number of sustained human rights violations against the Macedonian ethnic and linguistic ...
www.australianmacedonianweekly.com/edit ... newest.pdf
www.australianmacedonianweekly.com/edit ... newest.pdf
-
insan - Main Contributor
- Posts: 9044
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by christos1 » Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:54 pm
insan wrote:Europe to condemn Greece’s treatment of Macedonians not- ing a high number of sustained human rights violations against the Macedonian ethnic and linguistic ...
www.australianmacedonianweekly.com/edit ... newest.pdf
Australianmacedonianweekly? Seriously...you will be looking for fyrom blogs pretty soon
CASE OF ALI KEMAL UGUR AND OTHERS v. TURKEY
http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view. ... n=hudoc-en
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by christos1 » Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:56 pm
CASE OF PROTOPAPA v. TURKEY
Holds unanimously that there has been no violation of Article 3 of the Convention;
2. Holds unanimously that there has been no violation of Article 5 of the Convention;
3. Holds unanimously that there has been no violation of Article 6 of the Convention;
4. Holds unanimously that there has been no violation of Article 7 of the Convention;
5. Holds unanimously that there has been no violation of Article 11 of the Convention;
6. Holds by six votes to one that there has been no violation of Article 13 of the Convention;
7. Holds unanimously that there has been no violation of Article 14 of the Convention.
http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view. ... n=hudoc-en
I see a pattern here.
Holds unanimously that there has been no violation of Article 3 of the Convention;
2. Holds unanimously that there has been no violation of Article 5 of the Convention;
3. Holds unanimously that there has been no violation of Article 6 of the Convention;
4. Holds unanimously that there has been no violation of Article 7 of the Convention;
5. Holds unanimously that there has been no violation of Article 11 of the Convention;
6. Holds by six votes to one that there has been no violation of Article 13 of the Convention;
7. Holds unanimously that there has been no violation of Article 14 of the Convention.
http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view. ... n=hudoc-en
I see a pattern here.
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