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GR14750-220805
War Resisters' International, London, 22 August 2005

GREECE: Jehovah's Witness CO sentenced to 3.5 years imprisonment
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 http://wri-irg.org/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:

* http://wri-irg.org/news/2005/icod05full-en.htm
* http://wri-irg.org/news/2005/greece05a-en.htm
* http://wri-irg.org/pubs/br66-en.htm

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