Press Release

Florina / Lerin 10.10.2007

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THE STATE SECURITY DECIDES FOR THE ETHNIC MACEDONIANS...

Mrs Anthoula Zourka from the village Dendochori/Dmbeni, in the Prefecture of of Kastoria/Kostur,  had the "misfortune" to be married to a political refugee from the village Agios Germanos/German of Florina/Lerin Prefecture. She left Greece together with her husband during the Civil War (1946-1949). Mrs Zourka's husband was stripped of his Greek citizenship, however he was still in possession of her citizenship. This was proved after she applied to the relevant authorities in the Municipality to which her village belongs. It was confirmed that she is still is a Greek Citizen, duly registered in the Municipality's record books.

Dimitrios Kaziou, from Petros in Florina/Lerin was a political refugee whose Greek citizenship was taken away from him - as was the case with all ethnic Macedonians, as well as as all ethnic Greeks who took part in the Civil War and found themselves in the side of the "defeated". The ethnic Greeks political refugees were given an amnesty and got back their Greek citizenship in 1982. This was made possible with a law in 1982 on repatriation. Meanwhile, ethnic Macedonians were exempted from this law, as the right to repatriation was only given to "Greeks by genus".

Not long time ago, birth certificates were requested from local municipalities. Mrs Zourka, temporary living in the Republic of Macedonia, applied in person for such documents in order to later obtain an identity card and passport as any Greek citizen does. For Mr Kaziou, his relatives in Greece, for personal family reasons, applied for the certificate (Note: Mr Kaziou was deceased).

After a long bureaucratic procedure, in their answers, both Municipalities, refused to issue the certificates, stating that the State Security Administration does not agree on the issuing of the mentioned certificates. In particular, in the case of Mrs Anthoula Zourka , because "she did not apply for repatriation". In the case of Mr Dimitrios Kaziou it was because "he lost his Greek citizenship". Both cases are now being investigated by the Greek Ombudsman.

In 21st century Greece, a member-state of the European Union, the Council of Europe, a state in which its politicians "trumpet" that there is no discrimination, that all citizens are equal, that minorities do not exist, that the ethnic Macedonians do not exist, the State Security Administration needs to decide for a simple matter such as the issuing of birth certificate - and to in the end to issue a negative opinion for that request.

Could be that for the ethnic Macedonians in Greece and their relatives, practices that were employed by the former military Junta are still in place?

Kaziou Case Zourka Case

The Press Office.

Document of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Related to the article - The obvious linguistic particularity (Eletherotypia, 18/11/06)