17.07.08 - 13:10 MACEDONIAN RAINBOW

Voskopoulos: Greece Must Outgrow Democratic Deficit

A reform to the so-called Greek nationalism is necessary, says Pavlos Voskopoulos, leader of the RAINBOW Party in his interview to Dimitar Culev in Florina (Greece)

Q.: How do you interpret the latest statement of Greek Foreign Ministry’s spokesman in which he called the question concerning the existence of Macedonian minority in Greece “non-existing and ungrounded”?

A.: Kumutzakos’s statement depicts the continual policy of the Greek state against the Macedonian minority since 1912 up-to-date. I would say “ungrounded” and “non-existing” is the claim that Greece is a democratic state.

Greece has a legislative, that is to say a Law from 1981 concerning the repatriation of the “political refugees” of the 1946-1948 Civil War which decisively says who belongs to the “Greeks by origin” category. Why do the state and the Ministry of the Interior mention “Greeks by origin”? Does it mean that the other citizens are not “Greeks by origin”? Does not the state indirectly recognize the existing minority from this Law by mentioning the “non-existing” minority? If Greece clearly declares the expelled Macedonians during the Civil War in Greece as “non-Greeks by origin”, does this mean that their relatives in Greece do not exist? Why does Greece take away the citizenship of members of the “non-existing” minority and forbids the economic emigrants-Macedonians living overseas to enter the villages in which they were born? Today it takes away the Greek citizenship on the base of the Law paragraph 1 g because our co-citizens declare their Macedonian identity in Australia or in Canada, for example. By mentioning the “non-existing” minority, the Greek state sends a message to the Macedonians, and even to their relatives living in northern Greece. The aim of the modern “sophisticated terrorism” is to intimidate the Macedonians from declaring their Macedonian spirit not only in Australia and Canada but also of their relatives in Greece. Why does not the “self-loving” Greek policy implement a census of the population asking about their identity and language in relation to the “non-existing” minority? Is perhaps the continual denial an expression of fear from the “existing” Macedonians?

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16.07.08 - 12:55 GREEK -MACEDONIAN JUBILEE

A Decade After ECHR Judgment, Greece Continues To Refuse Registration Of The Home Of Macedonian Culture

Florina/Lerin - July 15, 2008
July 10, 2008 marked the 10th anniversary of the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case of Sidiropoulos and Others vs. Greece (ECtHR, 57/1997/841/8107) in which the court ruled that Greece’s refusal to register the Home of Macedonian Culture constituted a violation of Article 11 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). The European Free Alliance – Rainbow deplores the fact that a decade after a Strasbourg judgement and almost 20 years after the original application, Greek courts continue to refuse to register this cultural association. Background information
In 1990, a group of Greek citizens decided to form a non-profit making organisation called the “Home of Macedonian Culture” in the town of Florina/Lerin. The group proceeded to register the association with the Florina Court of First Instance. The court rejected application asserting that the objective of the association was to promote the idea that “there is a Macedonian minority in Greece, which is contrary to the national interest and subsequently contrary to the law”. A subsequent appeal to the Court of Appeal in Thessaloniki/Solun also failed. In 1994 the highest court in Greece upheld the decision of the lower court. The applicants then appealed the matter to European Court of Human Rights. In 1998, the court found that Greece violated the ECHR. Following the Strasbourg ruling the applicant tried once again to register the association but again failed. In 2003, the local court in Florina/Lerin again refused to register the association on the same grounds as previously stated i.e. that there is no Macedonian minority, etc. The matter was then appealed the regional court which upheld the decision; again ignoring the Strasbourg judgement. The matter is currently before the Supreme Court of Greece and if past decisions are any indication of what the court is likely to decide, justice will almost certainly have to be sought once again in Strasbourg. The European Free Alliance – Rainbow is appalled the Greek state continues to deny members of its ethnic Macedonians minority the right to freedom of association. We continue to urge the Council of Europe and the European Union to ensure that Greece complies with its obligations under the ECHR and fully executes all judgments from the ECHR.

The Press Office of EFA - Rainbow
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14.07.08 - 20:00 GREECE IN CORNER

PM Nikola Gruevski sent a letter to his Greek counterpart Karamanlis



In this letter he focuses on the issue involving ethnic Macedonians born in Greece.
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Dear Mr. Karamanlis,

I write to You with respect to two exceptionally important topics. If resolved, I am convinced they will amend many historical injustices; injustices that can be felt even today, and will improve the lives of many individuals. Surely, it will positively influence towards bringing the ties between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece closer.

Namely, in late 1940s, during the civil war in Greece, several hundreds of thousands of citizens and entire families in the whirlwind of war abandoned their homes, properties and the country in which they were born, as refugees.

A huge portion of these people, most of the ethnic Macedonians born in Greece, came to live in then SFRY (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), more precisely in the part of present Republic of Macedonia, and stayed here forever, probably due to the fact that they spoke the same language and felt they belonged with the Macedonian people. Some of them had displaced in other European states, and in USA, Australia and Russia, but those who had moved are also mostly ethnic Macedonians, they speak the same language as our own, they feel they belong to the same Macedonian nation, whereas most of them own double citizenship - Macedonian and from the country they reside in.

Unfortunately, many decades later, after abandoning their birthplaces and residences, even after the war was over, they were not allowed i.e. forbidden to return to their hometowns, in their own houses and properties. Neither they, nor their successors were allowed to come back. As far as I am informed, during the early 1980s, several laws were adopted in Greece, under which they were deprived of their properties. You would concur that these laws are not in accordance with the standards of EU, NATO and with international human right standards. Today these citizens, now nationals of the Republic of Macedonia, even though born in Greece, are discriminated on three accounts. Firstly, they are not able to claim back their properties; secondly, they face serious obstacles for traveling in Greece and thirdly, they cannot, as any other citizen born and raised in Greece, obtain the right of having double citizenship under Greek legislation - one Macedonian and one Greek - in times when Greece permits the right of double citizenship. Taking into consideration that in the past decades, the countries' democracy was developing, whereas your country become a member of EU and NATO - institutions where special attention is paid to human rights and standards for guaranteeing private ownership - I expect that You as Prime Minister will take measures to right these injustices caused to myriad of people whose destiny was painful.

In the Republic of Macedonia these people are organised in several civil associations. During several joint meetings, they urged me to address You as Prime Minister of the neighbouring country, they feel they are discriminated by.

The second topic for which I would like to ask You, and my belief is that You will be fully engaged in order to assist, is recognizing the Macedonian minority in the Republic of Greece and ensuring basic rights in compliance with international standards on education in the mother tongue (in Macedonian), nourishing cultural traditions and customs through various forms of organisations, regulating the use of the Macedonian language in local institutions in Greek municipalities with significant percentage of ethnic Macedonians, including other possibilities that any other democratic country ensures to their citizens, who are of ethnic origin that is different from the dominant one.

Mister Prime Minister,

My belief is that You will review theses issues with good will and I hope You will put forward a solution to these bitter issues in a sensible period of time. I, as well as the institutions in the Republic of Macedonia, are at Your disposal regarding any kind of communication on these issues, additional information, whilst a meeting of countries' expert groups may be organised, which I believe will be able to determine all the facts and details in a period of several months, thus contributing to overcoming these problems, which will surely impact the neighbourly relations.

We all know that in order to resolve these problems, first and foremost, a political will is needed which I believe you possess, since you are a member of EU and NATO. In fact, today, when human standards, guarantees for private ownership and minority rights are concerned, it is not a question of whether we are or aren't willing to solve them. Instead, we are obliged to strictly abide by international standards.

Mr. Prime Minister, both You and I are not able to change history and the past. But with good will, we can right many injustices from the past and certainly we can influence in establishing a much better future for our citizens, unless we deal the real issues unbiasedly.
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13.07.08 - 12:30 "NO PASSARAN” for truth

By SARAH LYALL c.1996 N.Y. Times News Service

LONDON - Anastasia Karakasidou's first book, a 300-page study of ethnicity and identity in the northern Greek province of Macedonia, seemed poised for publication after surviving months of grueling academic review at Cambridge University Press and winning high praise from academic specialists for its insights and fairness. But in December, Ms. Karakasidou received surprising news: The press had decided not to publish the book after all, it said, because it feared for the safety of its staff members in Greece. Back home in Stony Brook, N.Y., the Greek-born Ms. Karakasidou, an assistant professor of anthropology at Queens College, still sounds stunned. She had appreciated that her subject was a potentially provocative one -Greeks bristle at suggestions that residents of that province consider themselves anything but true Greeks - but she never expected this. ``They had my manuscript for more than a year and a half,'' she said in an interview this week. ``I had no idea that this was happening, and I had no way of defending myself.''

………

Fields of Wheat, Hills of Blood, is a study of three villages in the Greek province of Macedonia that asserts, among other things, that many of the residents speak Slavic dialects and consider themselves Slavo-Macedonian, not Greek. The findings challenge the official position of the Greek government, which remains at odds with the neighboring Republic of Macedonia, a part of former Yugoslavia, and denies the existence of a Slavic ethnic minority within its own borders. In the past, the Macedonian question has spurred nationalist-led violence in Greece. Ms. Karakasidou herself was threatened by right-wing groups two years ago after she published articles with conclusions similar to those in her book. But, she says, she continued to live in Greece without incident. Ms. Karakasidou submitted her manuscript to Cambridge more than 18 months ago, sending it on a well-worn path of academic reviews and revisions. Finally, its reviewers deemed it ready to go, and Ms. Karakasidou, though she had no contract in hand, had every reason to assume that Cambridge would publish it.

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The truth always come to light

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12.07.08 - 13:20 MACEDONIA - GREECE

Greece borders with the “Republic of Macedonia,” reads a tourist map published in QUI TOURING magazine.
The Greek National Tourism Organization /EOT/ protested against the publication.

The Organization adopted a decision about an advertising campaign that presents Greece in the July edition of the magazine, which is dedicated to the country.

EOT chairperson has sent a letter to the magazine’s editor over the map published, demanding its immediate removal. If this does not happen, the organization says it will regard the advertisement contract as invalid.

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Mina

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4.07.08 - 22:00 Greece fears from Macedonian verity and justice

According Macedonian news agency Makfax:

Greece rejects talks on expelled Macedonians

Athens rebuffed calls by Macedonian authorities for Macedonians who were expelled from Greece during the civil war to be allowed to reclaim lost properties and apply for Greek citizenship.

Greek diplomats dismissed the comments from Skopje as a departure from the focus of talks which are aimed at finding a mutually acceptable solution to the name issue.

Athens: Macedonian minority - "non-existent issue"

Greece called the issue of the Macedonian minority "non-existent and ungrounded", reaffirming the long-standing of its denial and non-recognition.

This is the first reaction of the official Athens, after Macedonian side demanded to include in the name talks the issue of the rights and restitution of properties of the expelled Macedonians from Greece after the civil war.

"An unfortunate attempt to create a non-existent and ungrounded issue," the spokesman of the Greek Foreign Ministry Yorgos Koumoutsakos said, commenting the statements of the government in Skopje about the Macedonian minority in northern Greece.

Koumoutsakos described the statements of the Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki as "ungrounded, unqualified and ungrounded attempt to make an impression" from the Macedonian side.

Koumoutsakos sees the issue of minority as part of the series of unacceptable statements coming from the Macedonian side.

For the Greeks, the only goal in the name talks is to reach "a mutually acceptable solution on the name issue."

Rights of Macedonians expelled from Greece guaranteed under international conventions

After official Athens denied again the existence of the Macedonian minority, some sources of the Macedonian government said.:

Macedonians expelled from Greece and their properties there are not issues of choice in talks with Athens, but their rights are guaranteed by the international standards and conventions,

Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski met today with the representatives of the Associations of the Refugees from the Civil War in Greece.

The Associations are currently preparing the annual gathering of the children-refugees from Aegean Macedonia, slated for end of July in Skopje.

However, Macedonian truth will out!!

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2.07.08 - 22:45 Greek argumentation

Greek prime minister Karamanlis : Our position is rihtful and we have strong arguments
against FIROM ( read: Republic of Macedonia)

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2.07.08 - 16:35 Athens :diplomatic war against Washington

American senators, greek mercenaries

The U.S. Administration voiced discontent over Senate's hampering of the appointment of the next U.S. Ambassador to Macedonia, Philip Ricker.

The appointment was blocked by pro-Greek U.S. Senators. According to diplomatic sources, the Senators blocking Mr. Ricker are Menendez and Joseph Biden, who is also at the Foreign Relations Committee.

Biggest concern for Greece has been the "proMacedonianism" exibited by Mr Ricker, telling the Senate Committee how pro-US the Macedonians have been, and also telling stories of Macedonian soldiers who have saved American soldiers in Iraq.

Athens has been very angry after top US Diplomat (R. Di Carlo) visited Skopje, and on the same day the Macedonian Government made the announcement it would seek return of land for Aegean Macedonians, without drawing any reaction from the U.S.

Athens may come a bit short on blocking Mr. Rickers' appointment, since President Bush is the one who signs a Decree for appointment of the new U.S. Ambassador to Skopje.

Meanwhile, Greece has pressed the 'panic' button in Athens and at the UN. Top Greek Diplomat to Washington, Ambassador Maljas (used to be Greek Ambassador to Macedonia), met with the Governor of the Bahamas, telling the very confused Governor "Macedonia has a Greek Character". A UN showdown between the two Governments is likely, and Greece has started working on securing votes by harassing the small nations.

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1.07.08 - 14:35 The justice catch up Greece

Aegean Macedonians from Macedonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Canada, USA, Australia, Russia etc, speak out on their properties in Greece. Everyone has an opinion, though they all agree on two things:

- Greece needs to pay us rent for occupying our land and properties for the past 60 years

- We need our properties and land back, it is up to us if we are going to sell or keep it.

Most of Aegean Macedonians, around 30,000, are all asking for their land and property back, valued on average at 1 million euros. One of them who submitted his papers to the Macedonian Government asking for 176 million euros from the Greek Government.

For decades, the Aegean Macedonians have pressured the Yugoslav Government about their properties and land in Greece. The pressure transferred to the Macedonian Government, who turned a deaf ear. The then Socialist Macedonian Government had insisted of the need to have good relations with Greece and refused to help them. Wealthy Aegean Macedonians had sought help and spoke to Attorneys in Athens. Greek Attorneys, not interested in politics, told the Macedonians they have the right of their properties back, suggested hiring foreign attorneys, and suing in a Foreign Court, hinting of Strasbourg. Macedonians who could afford this have already done so, hired Macedonian, Greek and Swiss Attorneys.

The Greek Government have created some disturbingly racist and discriminating laws against Macedonians. After it became evident Yugoslavia would disintegrate, in 1985, Athens Parliament approved a law that would bar anyone (Macedonians) getting their land and properties back if they were not "pure Greeks of father/mother". Later, another law was passed that barred Macedonians from getting their land back because they have "illegally" left Greece, even though Greece forced them out.

Aegean Macedonians spoke of the Greek Communists who with the Macedonians were like brothers and fought shoulder to shoulder against the Greek (British) monarchy in Athens. Athens had not created problems for them even though they were like 'one' with the Macedonians. Greek Communist today have members in Parliament.

If the justice is slow , will she be reachable ??
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30.06.08 - 13: 45 Politics and /against sport

The irrational problem which Greese made against the name od Republic of Macedonia is present in Australia ,too.- between macedonian and greek communities.

So, the Australian Football Federation, and local police were ready for the match between Australian Macedonian ("Preston Lions" ) and Australian Greek ("Melbourne Hellas").

Preventive measure were undertaken, which included empty stands and police presence in large numbers, due to clashes between fans 3 years ago.

The Macedonian Club "Preston Lions" won the match 2-1 at "Melbourne Hellas".

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28.06.08 - 14:20 Greek politics ::provocations

Macedonian peacekeepers participating in the EU-led ALTHEA mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) were ordered to remove the state insignia "MKD" which was followed by a very strong reaction from the Macedonian Soldiers in Bosnia who planned to pack up their equipment (Helicopter...) and leave ahead of schedule, only for the EUFOR (ALTHEA) mission to explain they have made a 'mistake'.

Later, the EUFOR mission (governed and funded by EU) told the Macedonian soldiers they don't have to abide by the rules, such as having a different code, they can still use their code.

Once the EU officials in Brussels saw that Skopje was about to withdraw Macedonian peacekeepers in Bosnia, those responsible tried to clarify the situation by saying it was a mistake.

The Greek soldiers stationed in Bosnia not happy with the outcome for their code change, defaced a poster at an Entrance door which was dedicated to the 11 Macedonian soldiers killed in a Helicopter accident few months ago. Greek soldiers had crossed out 'Macedonians' and wrote 'albanians' on it!!!

Unlike the case with Macedonian uniforms in France which ended up with an apology from NATO Secretary General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer and inner probe within the Alliance, the latest humiliation against Macedonian soldiers will probably be hushed up.

The Government in Athens is aware they will either loose the name negotiations or Macedonia wont change the name. Governed by this knowledge, Athens is constantly attempting to provoke an armed incident either with Macedonian soldiers stattioned abroad or with Macedonian citizens who visit Greece or do business there.

According last news, Macedonian Prime Minister Gruevski on his scheduled meeting with Nimetz has formally requested international mediation (UN, OSCE, EU) with Greece on properties belonging to forced out Macedonians, as well as cultural and educational choice for the Macedonians in Aegean Macedonia according to international standards.

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7.06.08 - 16:30 US says :Greek accusations -"absurd"

US says accusations of anti-Greek action "absurd"

The U.S. Department of State has dismissed as "absurd and inaccurate" the reports from Athens on alleged anti-Greek action of the US Consul General Hoyt Brian Jee in Thessaloniki.

The statement came after extensive reports from Athens blaming the U.S. consul of actions against territorial integrity of northern Greece by meeting with members of Macedonian and Turkish minority.

The recent news reports from Athens, citing "a classified" document from Greek secret service, blamed the U.S. consul Jee of "serious, undiplomatic and illegal actions against the territorial integrity of northern Greece, bringing political gains with non-existing minorities in Greece".

"Those reports are inaccurate, inappropriate and totally absurd. And I would suggest that anyone making them check their facts because they're wrong," State Department's deputy spokesman Tom Casey told reporters.

"I can state with authority that I am fully confident that both our Embassy in Athens, as well as our Consul is behaving in a fully appropriate manner consistent with the role of diplomats everywhere, which is certainly to talk not only to government officials, but to members of civil society in all forms, including those who might not always agree with the governments of the day," Case said.

He stressed that the reports are completely wrong, making spurious and scandalous accusations against fine members of the U.S. Foreign Service.

The "classified" document, published in Greek media, blows the whistle on actions of the US Consul General in Thessaloniki, who met with leading figures of Rainbow, a political party of Macedonian minority in Greece, and with Muslim minority leaders in Western Thracia and with other Greek citizens.

According to classified document, these meetings were to put in motion an alleged secret plan by the US to destabilize Thracia and northern Greece and ignite a crisis throughout Greece.

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_MAKFAX________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

26.06.08 - 13:35 Greek lie:"Macedonia is one and Greek"

POLITICAL PARTY OF THE MACEDONIAN MINORITY IN GREECE
Member of the European Free Alliance - European Political Party (EFA-EPP)
Member of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN)

The Greek irredentism against Republic of Macedonia: "Macedonia is one and Greek"

Florina/Lerin - June 25, 2008

The Greek “Ethnofylaki” or “National Guard” is a military unit, officially and legally integrated into the structures of the Greek Army.

It is a form of state organization, with the task to “protect the state against any form of extraordinary, internal or external, threats”

A few weeks ago the Florina/Lerin Greek National Guard Battalion organized a festive gunfire training for its members and all potentially interested civilians.

In the invitation for the event – public poster which was distributed among the population read:

The last sentence of the invitation, coming from an official entity of the Greek state, constitutes a flagrant and outrageous provocation against a sovereign state, the Republic of Macedonia, whose borders are only 20 kilometres away from the place the event took place.

Furthermore, yet again it is proof of Greece’s hypocrisy, which on the one hand accuses the Republic of Macedonia of irredentism while on the other hand constantly adopts irredentist policies and fosters provocative acts against this country.

We regret to conclude that Greece will never accept the existence of the Macedonian people, inside and outside of its borders, unless it is forced to do so.

EFA-Rainbow reveals the true face of the Greek “democratic” state, its real intentions, and urges all EU institutions to exercise pressure on our country.

Are we to wonder if the slogan "MACEDONIA IS ONE AND GREEK!" promoted by the Greek government and the Greek army will be used to invade the Republic of Macedonia in times of instability in the Balkans?

Greece must once and for all start acting like a true EU member-state and not like an expansionist totalitarian dictatorship of the past.

The Press Office
of EFA-Rainbow
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http://www.florina.org/news/2008/june25_e.asp
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24.06.08 - 20:50 What EUROPE has forgotten?

10.06.08 - 16:15 NATO: France is to blame....

NATO: France is to blame, not just the Greek Officer

NATO conducted an internal investigation over the incident between a Greek and Macedonian officers during NATO's training in France (Steadfast Juncture 2008).

The Greek officer had verbally attacked Macedonians to take out their badge with the flag and name of the country. The Macedonian officers had refused to take it out and upon consultation with the Macedonian Military decided to leave France ahead of schedule.

"The host country, France, and the organizing training cell had not contacted the central NATO Command in Brussels upon receiving a complaint from a member country." says in its letter Jan Hoop De Scheffer sent to Macedonia's Minister of Defense, Lazar Elenovski.

NATO's conclusion is, the host country France committed an error for allowing, and then taking sides with the Greek Officer by asking the Macedonian Officers to change in "civilian clothing", instead of consulting with Brussels as the official rules and protocol suggests.

Jaan De Hoop Scheffer, continues to say that NATO does not have any policy on uniforms, it is strictly up to the nation to choose.

"Your contributions to the Alliance are of great importance, and are much appreciated. I would like to inform you that I will personally make sure this sort of incident does not occur in the future." says Scheffer in his letter.

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http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/1793/1/

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9.06.08 - 22:15 Question to the Committee of Ministers

Written Question No. 547 by Mr Cilevics: "Implementation of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights on the right to association for national minorities in Bulgaria"

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In its judgment in the case of UMO Ilinden - PIRIN and others v. Bulgaria (59489/00) of 20 October 2005 (final on 20 January 2006), the European Court of Human Rights found a violation of Article 11 of the Convention in respect of a political party whose stated aims included, inter alia, the recognition of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria.

In document CM/Inf/DH(2007)8, the Committee of Ministers stated that where the Court has found violations of the right to freedom of association on account of dissolutions, or refusals of registration, of organisations and political parties, the Committee of Ministers has, in application of this principle, seen to it that the respondent state has removed laws or practices incriminated by the Court and offered the applicants the possibility to have their organisation registered anew in proceedings respecting the Convention.

However, following the 2005 judgment, UMO Ilinden - PIRIN has twice, in vain, sought re-registration and continues to remain unregistered.

Given that the diligent and timely execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights is an issue of fundamental importance for the Parliamentary Assembly,
Mr Cilevics,
to ask the Committee of Ministers,
what the Committee of Ministers intends to undertake in order to facilitate execution of the above-mentioned judgment by the authorities of Bulgaria, so as to ensure the effectiveness of the Council of Europe system for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms?

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Source: https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1297009
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9.06.08 - 19:30 The European Commission presses the Bulgarian government

Amnesty International:

The European Commission presses the Bulgarian government

The newest report of the Amnesty International mentions the Macedonian Minority's struggle in Bulgaria. The report states that in September, the European Commission called on the Bulgarian government to respect the decisions by the European Court of Human Rights that Bulgaria should allow the registration of the OMO Ilinden PIRIN party, which represents the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. Both the Supreme Court and the Sofia City Court had denied the party’s application for registration.
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7.o6.08 - 19:40 Greek speciality: provocations

Slovenia's MP slams Greece over Macedonia

The Slovenian representative in the European Parliament, Jelko Kacin, slammed Greece's attitude toward Macedonia and called for adequate response from the European institutions.

Kacin urged EU institutions to protect the basic principles of the inter-state relations and to take measures against Greek "planned policy of escalation and deliberate provocations", "pouring oil on fire" and "poisoning of the political atmosphere in the region."

"The same happened with the President of Macedonia - a country with 'unfortunate name'," Jelko Kacin said.

According to him, the decision of Macedonian President to cancel - on the behalf of his country - his participation at an important international meeting in Athens, is "logical and triggered by Greece's planned policy."

"Evidently, these incidents do not occur randomly. We are witnessing a planned policy of escalation and deliberate provocations on the part of Greece, which pour oil on fire of the already strained relations between the two governments," Kacin added
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http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/1749/1/

6.06.08 - 17:15 Greek campaign against the Macedonian language

EFA Condemns attacks against the Macedonian language in EU institutions


European Free Alliance – European Political Party - Press Release

EFA sends letters of protest to the European Commission, European Parliament and an open-letter to all MEPs from Greece

The European Free Alliance – European Political Party (EFA) is deeply concerned by the latest campaign of Greek MEPs within EU institutions to replace and in some instances eradicate the use of the term “Macedonian” to describe the Macedonian language, Macedonian culture and persons identifying as ethnic Macedonians.

It is well known that the motivation of Greece and its MEPs on this issue is its blatant refusal to recognise Macedonian identity, both in Greece and beyond.

…..

EFA wishes to point out that any attempts by bodies of the European Parliament or by Commission to bow to the absurd demands of the Greek MEPs to rename the Macedonian language are not in conformity with article 6(3) of the Treaty on the European Union which declares that: “The Union shall respect the national identities of its Member States.” The Republic of Macedonia is an official candidate country to join the EU and thus it is logical and appropriate for the institutions (and indeed the Member-States) to act in conformity with the principles and spirit contained in the treaties, in the lead-up to the accession of the aforementioned country to the EU.

Moreover, it is quite absurd and indeed erroneous to call the Macedonian language something which it is not. All serious linguists are in agreement on the use of the term Macedonian to describe it. Moreover and ironically, the strongest piece of evidence for the existence of a language called Macedonian comes not from the academic world, but from the Greek state itself. In the Greek census of 1920, the Macedonian language (not Slav-Macedonian, Slavic language or Slavic idiom) was listed as a language spoken by parts of the population in Greece. Parts of the official census results were published (and therefore recognised) by the Greek state. They can be found in the General Archives of the Greek state and has been republished in a book by M. Houliarakis (Geografiki, dioikitiki kai plithismiaki ekseliksi tis Ellados tom G' page 363).

Given that Greece in 1920 officially referred to the Macedonian language as Macedonian, any attempt by the same state almost a century later to modify or eradicate the name of the language (and people and culture connected to it) must be rejected.

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http://www.florina.org/archive/2008/june04_e.html

5.06.08 - 17:05 ......death penalty for Macedonians in Greece

Greek MP asks for death penalty for Macedonians in Greece

According to Athanassios Plevris, ethnic Macedonians committed a felony when they described "Skopje" as "Macedonia" and the language as "Macedonian". Death penalties were demanded for the members of the "Vinozito" party of the Macedonian minority in Greece, as well as for "Greek Helsinki Watch", by Member of the Greek Parliament, Athanassios Plevris of "The People's Orthodox Rally" ("LAOS") Party. The MP of the ultra-nationalist party Georgios Karatzaferis sent a written request to the Foreign Minister, Dora Bakoyannis and to the Minister of Justice, Sotirios Hadjigakis saying that there is a map of Europe on the VINOZHITO website showing "Skopje" as Macedonia and that "Helsinki Watch", which is financed by the Greek government, talks about the existence of a Macedonian language. "This is absolutely unacceptable" he said as he describes the Macedonian language as "Slavic".
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Panayote Dimitras, chairman of the Greek Helsinki Committee, says that both Ministers are overly hostile towards Vinozito and the Greek Helsinki Committee and are willing to take action against them. This confirms the fact that in Greece it is dangerous to say "Macedonian state", "Macedonian language" and "Macedonian minority".
......

Despite the multiple decrees and judgments the Council of Europe and the UN has exacted against such acts, Greece continues to violate international human rights treaties. The fact that no political party, no medium and no public organization in Greece protested against the actions of both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry for Justice, is a clear indication that the political system and society that needs to address the rights of the Macedonians, Turks and others in Greece are locked out. This shows that democracy does not work when dealing with the rights of the minorities in Greece, says Dimitras.
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All text: http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/1725/1/

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