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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)

Stefanou Dragoumi 11 ΀.Κ. 53100 ΀.Θ. 51 Greece; Tel/fax 0030 23850 46548
Website: www.florina.org; E-mail: rainbow@florina.org



Press Release

Greece continues to take Greek citizenship away from members of the ethnic Macedonian minority

Florina/Lerin - August 14, 2008
Akritas / Buf “Industrial production” of Greek citizenship removals from members of the ethnic Macedonian minority and Turks from West Thrace.

Mr. Antonios Opasinis was born in Akrita /Buf, Florina/Lerin in 1938. The same year his father immigrated to America for a better life.
In 1952, after fourteen years, the rest of the family followed him.

The family left with Greek passports, since then Mr. Opasinis had been visited his birth place another five times, always with his Greek passport.

In 2003, the Department of Passports/Florina Prefecture issued him a new passport and the Police Station of the district issued him a new identity card.

In the beginning of the summer, 2008, he visited once again his birth place, his house and his relatives.

Having an old, non-biometrical, passport, he decided to go to the Police Station of Florina to renew it.
There he learnt that a new passport could not be issued since in the meantime he had lost his Greek citizenship.

He was also informed that not only he but also all members of his family lost their citizenships.

The Police also took back his identity card.

We don’t have words to describe the discriminations ethnic Macedonians of Northern Greece suffer from the Greek state.

Characteristic examples:

In 2005 Mr Ch. Gagatsis learned that his Greek citizenship has been taken away. He was also born in Akrita/Buf.

The same year (2005) Mr Misalis from Meliti/Ovtsarani tried to enter Greece in order to be present at his father funeral in his village. The Greek border police authorities prohibited his entry because he had lost his Greek citizenship and was also proclaimed as “persona non grata”.

In 2007, Mr I Markou, from Alona/Armensko learned that he also has lost his Greek citizenship.

A few days ago we referred to the case of Mr. K. Ilia and his family from Kelli/Gornitsovo, whose Greek citizenship had been also removed.

Mr Opasinis’ family is yet another victim of discrimination and human rights impingement by the Greek State
etc

The law 3370 article 20 par.1G (Greek law for Citizenship) according to which Greek citizenship can be removed.


Low 3370/1955
Chapter G
Article 20

Denaturalization
One can lose his/her Greek Citizenship
When-while residing abroad-he/she acted in benefit of another State, in ways that do not comply to the Greek citizen status and against Greece's interests.



How many other ethnic Macedonians, economic immigrants have lost their Greek citizenship?

Why the official Greek state doesn't inform the citizens that their citizenship has been recalled?

What kind of democracy is that when Greek citizens, economic immigrants lose their political rights because the speak Macedonian too (their mother language), beside Greek, in the place that they live and work or because they express a different ethnic/linguistic identity?

In other words, Greece is recalling citizenship from members of a “non existent” Macedonian minority?

Greece is putting “non existent” people in the “persona non grata” list forbidding them to enter the country?

We have to add that all previous years, many ethnic Turks from the Turkish minority of West Thrace lost their Greek citizenship mainly due the implementation of the article 19 (Code of Greek Citizenship). After continuous struggle from our fellow citizens and the pressure applied to the Greek governments from the international community, this article was suspended, but unfortunately this does not apply retroactively to restore all these people who illegally lost their Greek citizenship. Our country uses discriminatory policies against the ethnic Macedonians and ethnic Turks in issues such as citizenship. In other words, these policies over the years target to a selective “ethnical cleansing”.

It’s a shame, because the implementation of such policies against members of the ethnic Macedonian minority in Greece and against the ethnic Turks of Western Thrace from our country unfortunately insults not only its citizens but Greece itself.

The Press Office
of EFA-Rainbow
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