MHRMI Condemns Attack on Minority Activist in Greece During Live Broadcast

SEEMO Toronto, Canada - MHRMI joins the South East Europe Media Organization (SEEMO) appeal denouncing the attack on Turkish minority rights activist, Abdulhalim Dede, during a live television broadcast on February 19, 2009.

Greece vigorously denies the existence of any ethnic minorities on its territory and attempts to suppress any voices that advocate human rights. Simply raising the issue of minority rights, and specifically the Macedonian minority, in Greece causes Greek citizens and politicians alike to react in outrage.

Greece's state-sponsored racism includes Greek politicians publicly calling for the death of Macedonian minority party EFA-Rainbow members, the Greek army entering an ethnic Macedonian village and arresting several inhabitants, and possible treason charges against Greek Helsinki Monitor spokesperson Panayote Dimitras for advocating minority rights.

MHRMI calls on the international community, and specifically the European Union, to finally hold Greece accountable for its persecution of its ethnic minorities and force Greece to abide by all European Court of Human Rights judgements against it.

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Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. For more information, please visit www.mhrmi.org, or contact MHRMI at 416-850-7125, or info@mhrmi.org.