30.10.08 - 22:30 The charges for seven Macedonians

Seven Macedonians prosecuted for the events at Lofi/Zabrdeny



Eurolang Belgrade, Tuesday, 28 October 2008 by Georgios N. Papadakis

The public prosecutor of Florina/Lerin has pressed charges against seven individuals who participated in the recent events at the village of Lofi/Zabrdeny in Northern Greece.

Among them were the four initially arrested on the scene of the unrest while the other three are also inhabitants of the village.

According to the public prosecutor, the accused obstructed public transport when they blocked tanks and other armoured vehicles of the Greek Army, initiated riots among the local population, and resisted violently when policemen tried to reopen the passage leading to an army exercise field in the vicinity of their homes. No date has been set yet for the trial, but its is likely that it will take place next year.

Protests in Lofi/Zabrdeny against the army exercises caught the public eye not only in Greece but also in the neighbouring Republic of Macedonia and internationally. The issue caused a public debate inside the Greek Parliament while Macedonian minority party EFA-Rainbow directly accused the Greek authorities of policies of discrimination.

The detention of four Macedonian journalists who were covering the events also led to protests by the Macedonian Government, the International Federation of Journalists and the International Press Institute-South East Europe Media Organization. In addition, IFJ and IPI-SEEMO urged the Greek authorities to explain why the journalists were obstructed from performing their duties and eventually forced to leave Greece. No answer to these complaints has been given so far by Greek officials.
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30.10.08 - 00:16 Greek military and political parade: militrism and irredentism

Greek Army chants Anti-Macedonian slogans on their paradeс


ImageSlogans such as "Macedonia is Greek", "Greek blood flows through Macedonians' veins" and "We won't give the name Macedonia to Skopje" were chanted by Greek commandos at yesterday's parade organised in Solun on Greece's national holiday October 28, writes Ethnos daily on Wednesday.


The chanting, comments the newspaper, prompted an awkward situation in the official box where defense ministers of seven southeastern European countries were seated in addition to Greek President Karolos Papoulias and Government members.

Kathimerini newspaper says that Greek Defense Minister Evangelos Meimarakis, on occasion of the holiday, has sent invitations for the parade to all his Balkan counterparts, including the Macedonian one, but "Skopje rejected the invitation."

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