[ALBSA-Info] On the Vlach Minority in Greece

[aalibali at law.harvard.edu]

From:  Costel Trandu <office at g...>
Date:  Tue Feb 13, 2001 6:42am
Subject:  Bletsas case

 
To: Greek Helsinki Monitor
       Glyka Nera - Greece

Ref Arhitect S. Bletsas Case
									
	02/12/2001
Dear Sir,

We, the Congress of Macedo-Romanian Culture from USA,
have found with profound indignation that on February
2, 2001, Mr Sotiris Bletsas, a member of the Society
for Vlach Culture was sentenced to 15 months in prison
and a fine of 500,000 drs (est USD 1,400), for
distributing a publication issued by UE and EBLUS, in
which appropriately was mentioned also the
Macedo-Vlach, Aromanian language, among the other
minority languages from Greece. The charge against Mr.
Bletsas ( for the dissemination of false information)
was pressed by Mr. Eugene Haitidis,  a parliament
deputy , member of the New Democracy Party.

The Board of directors of the Congress of
Macedo-Romanian (Vlach) Culture from USA considers the
above verdict a blatant violation of freedom of
expression, a serious contradiction with the UN
Declaration of Human Rights, intolerance towards
minorities - an endemic behavior in the Balkan
Peninsula.

Moreover, Greece is a member of EU and NATO and in
1997 has signed and ratified the Convention for
Protection of National Minorities.

Therefore, in the name of a better South East European
Cooperation and Understanding, our organization
appeals for the withdrawal of this unjust accusation
and expects a complete rehabilitation of Mr. S.
Bletsas.

For the Congress of Macedo- Romanian (Vlach) Culture
Aureliu D. Ciufecu, President
90 Laslo Terrace
Fairfield, Conn. USA
Tel: (203) 371-8743	 Fax: (203) 261-2087