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DE RUEHTH #1362/01 2691106
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UNCLAS ATHENS 001362 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY - CAPTION ADDED 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL GR MK
SUBJECT:  GREECE: UN MINORITIES EXPERT REFUTES ERRONEOUS IMPRESSIONS 
OF HER VISIT 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: During an August 16 visit to Greece at the invitation 
of the GOG, UN Minorities expert Gay McDougall examined Greek 
legislation, policies, and practices related to minority rights and 
highlighted challenges and good practices.  McDougall refuted 
erroneous claims in the Greek press that her visit was somehow 
connected to the Macedonia name issue and that she was working to 
promote USG policy in the Balkans.  Perceptions of McDougall's visit 
were further complicated by a confusing press release of the Greek 
Helsinki Monitor (GHM), which appeared (erroneously) to link 
McDougall's visit with treason charges against GHM spokesman 
Panayote Dimitras.  There was not linkage, hwoever, between 
McDougall's visit and the treason accusations against Dimitras, who 
in any case has never been formally charged by judicial authorities 
with any violations of the criminal code.  END SUMMARY. 
 
GOG INVITES MCDOUGALL TO EXAMINE MINORITIES ISSUES 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On August 16, UN expert on Minorities Gay McDougall made an 
official fact-finding trip to Greece, visiting Athens, Thessaloniki, 
Thrace, and the Florina region in northern Greece.  Accordig to 
McDougall, the scope of her visit was toexamine Greek legislation, 
policies, and pracices related to minority rights and to highliht 
challenges and good practices.  Her visit received much negative 
publicity, however, with many press reports speculating that the 
timing of her visit indicated that it was connected with the 
Macedonia name issue and that she was a representative or agent of 
the USG seeking to promote U.S. policy in the Balkans. 
 
¶3. (SBU) McDougall gave an interview in Athens at the conclusion of 
her visit, in which she denied any hidden agenda or connection with 
the USG, though she admitted she was an AmCit.  She emphasized that 
her visit was an official one at the invitation of the Greek 
Government (Note:  She met with FM Bakoyannis and several GOG 
officials during her visit.  End Note) and that her report on the 
situation of minorities in Greece would be submitted to the UN 
Council of Human Rights in March 2009 after consultations with the 
GoG.  She explained that she had met with representatives of 
national, ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities and 
disadvantaged groups, and that she had no final conclusions or 
findings to offer at this point.  She welcomed the opportunity she 
would be given in the coming months to discuss her preliminary 
findings with the GoG before publication.  Greek press 
representatives appeared reluctant to accept that she had no 
opinions or findings to share now and attempted to get out of her 
names of individuals with whom she had met and the reasons she had 
visited Florina in particular, where the un-recognized Slav-speaking 
"Macedonian" minority lives. 
 
NO LINK WITH DIMITRAS' TROUBLES 
------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Perceptions of McDougall's visit were further complicated 
by a confusing press release of the Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM), 
which appeared (erroneously) to link McDougall's visit with treason 
charges against GHM spokesman Panayote Dimitras.  While it was true 
that Dimitras had been summoned by a prosecutor and asked questions, 
this occurred some time ago and was unrelated to the McDougall 
visit.  The case dates from October 2007.  Under the Greek criminal 
justice system, any citizen may file a complaint against another 
person claiming a violation of the criminal code.  The prosecutor's 
office then determines whether there are sufficient grounds to 
proceed with a criminal investigation and formal charges. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In this case, far-right MP Plevris from the LA.OS (Popular 
Orthodox) party, filed a complaint in October 2007 against Dimitras 
claiming that Dimitras had violated Article 138 paragraph 1 of the 
Criminal Code, which states: "one who attempts by force or by threat 
of force to detach from the Greek State territory belonging to it or 
to include territory of the Greek State in another state shall be 
punished by death" (another article commutes death sentences to life 
sentences).  In Plevris' accusation, he highlighted texts written by 
Dimitras that referred to the Macedonian minority in Greece (and 
that also made references to concerns raised by the European 
Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and the United 
Nations on the matter). 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Chief Prosecutor of the First Instance Court of Athens 
could have decided to ignore the complaint.  He decided, however, 
that the criminal complaint was not completely unfounded and 
launched a preliminary criminal investigation against Dimitras.  On 
that basis, Dimitras was invited by the magistrate to answer 
questions.  According to the law, this preliminary criminal 
investigation process is to last only four months.  After nine 
months, the complaint against Dimitras is still in the phase of 
preliminary investigation.  No charges have been filed against 
Dimitras and it appears unlikely that they will be. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Gay McDougall's visit would be controversial in Greece at 
any time due to her interest in minorities; the GOG defines 
"minorities" strictly in accordance with the provisions of the 1923 
Treaty of Lausanne, and, on that basis, the GOG maintains that there 
is only one minority in Greee: the "Muslim minority" of Thrace that 
is recognized by the Lausanne Treaty.  But McDougall's visit was 
further complicated by the linkage in the public mind between 
minority issues and the Macedonia name issue.  McDougall's visit 
came just when public attention was focused on recent demands by the 
Republic of Macedonia's PM Gruevski that name-issue negotiations 
include reference to a "Macedonian" nationality and ethnicity, and 
the Gruevski letters to PM Karamanlis and other world leaders in 
which he asks that Greece formally recognize the existance of a 
"Macedonian minority."  These are explosive topics in Greece. 
McDougall was careful at her press conference to deny any linkage 
between her visit and the name issue - or any linkage between her 
and the USG.  Her repeated references to her plans to consult with 
the GOG during the writing of her report may also help smooth 
feathers. 
 
¶8. (SBU) COMMENT CONT.  As for the further distraction of treason 
charges against Panayote Dimitras, we note that he has long been a 
thorn in the government's side.  This is not the first time that 
far-right representatives have filed complaints against him based on 
the criminal code.  As far as we know, however, he has never been 
formally charged by judicial authorities with any violations of the 
criminal code. 
 
SPECKHARD