GREECE: Jehovah's Witness CO sentenced to 3.5 years imprisonment

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Greek conscientious objector Boris Sotiriadis (GR14750), a Jehovah's
Witness, was today sentenced to 3.5 years in prison by the Military
Court of Xanthi, in North Greece.

Boris Sotiriadis is of Greek origin, but he came from Georgia, where he
already had served in the army before he became a Jehovah's Witness. He
is now living in Cyprus. On 1 August, he followed a call-up to the
army, and went to the military camp of Aulona, where he refused to
serve citing conscientious objection based on his religious beliefs. He
was then detained in the military camp, and later sent to the military
camp of Didimoticho in Northern Greece, where he again refused to serve
any military service, and asked to perform a substitute service
instead. He was then charged with disobedience.



Today, the military court of Xanthi convicted him and sentenced him to
3.5 years in prison without suspension. He is now being sent to the
military prison in Thessaloniki. Sotiriadis had only been called up for
3 months military service, and will now serve more than 3 years in
prison.



War Resisters' International calls for letters of protest to the Greek
authorities, and Greek embassies abroad. A list of Greek embassies can
be found at http://www.mfa.gr/english/the_ministry/missions/.
You can send a protest email to Mr. Kostas Karamanlis, Prime Minister
of Greece, at /co/alerts/20050822a.html.



Andreas Speck

War Resisters' International



Contact for protest letters:



Mr. Kostas Karamanlis, Prime Minister of Greece Maximos Mansion
(?Megaro Maximou?) 19, Herodou Attikou str GR-106 74 Athens

info@primeminister.gr



Background information on CO in Greece:

Archives of co-alert can be found at http://wri-irg.org/news/alerts