From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Thu, 18 Aug 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin --------------------------- * Tirana trial "aggressive act" against ethnic minority, Foreign Ministry says * Jack Lang * Vranitzky * Greece in close touch with WHO over Turkey cholera report * Opposition leader on Maastricht review Tirana trial "aggressive act" against ethnic minority, Foreign Ministry says --------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 18/8/1994 (ANA): The trial of the five ethnic Greek leaders of the political organisation "Omonia" resumed yesterday in Tirana with two more of the defendants retracting their confessions saying they had been extracted under torture by Albanian police during interrogation. "It constitutes an aggressive act against the ethnic minority Greek minority, and a foolish provocation against Greece," Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas said. The trial opened Monday with the prosecutor dropping treason charges, some carrying the death penalty. Five persons are now standing trial on charges of espionage and illegal possession of arms. The only one of the accused so far to maintain his original statement to interrogators is Bezhani, who heads the Omonia branch in Gjirokaster. But he denied the charges of espionage and illegal possession of weapons. "I am only in this dock because of my devotion to Omonia," he told the court. Panajot Marto, one of the defendants, said yesterday he had been tortured during interrogation and retracted his confession. "The truth is what I say here," he told the court. Vangjel Papakristo, another of the accused, retracted his confession of Tuesday, saying it had been extracted under pressure. The five ethnic Greeks were arrested after a fatal attack on an Albanian border conscript which led to a growing crisis between Greece and its neighbour. Tirana accused Athens of staging the attack, but the Greek government flatly denied the accusations. Marto said he was placed in solitary confinement for 17 days during his interrogation, and was still suffering from uncontrolled trembling as a result. "I suffered from severe depression and I had a nervous breakdown," he told the court. He added that he was refused to read the final version of his statements. Kosta Qirjako, on trial on espionage and illegal possession of weapons charges yesterday described how he had been beaten during a 72-hour interrogation. He said during his interrogation he had been kept without sleep. "I was kept under intensive interrogation for 72 hours, without sleep, I was beaten on the head and the ball of my feet with rubber truncheons, had a pistol placed on my forehead and threatened with electrocution," he told the court. Police continued to maintain tight security at the approaches to the courthouse, and yesterday barred a Reuter cameraman and two reporters for the BBC and Deutsche Welle from entering the courthouse. The cameraman was Albanian and the reporters were Greek. All three had passes to the courtroom. Two prominent lawyers were barred from entering the courthouse Tuesday, while on the opening day of the trial Albanian police attacked and detained a group of journalists and observers. Foreign Ministry spokesman Meanwhile in Athens, Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas told reporters yesterday the trial of the five ethnic Greeks "constitutes an aggressive move against the ethnic Greek minority and a foolish" provocation against Greece". Mr. Bikas said that the Greek government was continuing to closely monitor the trial. "The charges are completely unfounded, extremely serious and provocative in nature. The trial, together with the preliminary and investigative procedure, is nothing more than a parody. The detainees were tortured and Albania's penal code dated back to the years of the Hodja regime," Mr. Bikas said. The spokesman also condemned as "provocative" rough-handling by Albanian police of observers and reporters trying to attend the trial. The Greek government had taken steps to ensure the trial received international attention, Mr. Bikas said, adding that a memorandum was being prepared which constituted a detailed rebuttal of the charges against the five. Mr. Bikas did not reveal what measures Greece might take against Albania, saying only that "they will be announced when the time is right." On Tuesday a group of high-ranking government and police officials gathering at a secluded army camp in northern Greece, decided on a series of reprisal measures for Albania's trial of the five. Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias told the press the decisions were taken unanimously. Mr. Papoulias said measures would also be taken to deal with the "alarming rate" of illegal Albanians to Greece. In a bid to cordon off would-be illegal Albanian immigrants from entering Greece, the police stepped up patrolling along on the border line with the neighbouring country and, in the past few days, rounded up a total of 639 illegal Albanians and sent them back to Albania. Yesterday, Public Order Under-Secretary Sifis Valyrakis said that a special force of border guards to monitor the country's Northwest frontiers and ward off illegal Albanian refugees would be set up in eight months. "The objective is to seal off the Greek Albanian border so that no illegal Albanian can pass through," Mr. Valyrakis said. He said the measure was not linked to the on-going trial of five ethnic Greeks in Tirana, but part of efforts to stem illegal immigration. Police sources say about 15,000 illegal Albanians are arrested and deported back to Albania every month. Most, however, find their way back into the country. In another development, Main Opposition New Democracy party Deputy President Yiannis Varvitsiotis said the government's handling in relation to developments in Albania "leaves no margin for optimism." He accused the government of making "clumsy moves" leading to "today's impasse" which, if continued, could lead to further "hardship". Commenting on a statement Tuesday by an Albanian Foreign Ministry spokesman, that the outcome of the trial in Tirana hinged on the Greek veto of a European Union financial aid to Albania, a New Democracy statement later yesterday said: "Human rights, freedoms, and democracy are non-negotiable. Albania will realise this when democracy in their country reaches maturity." The statement added that the conditions allowing Greece and the European Union to send financial aid to the neighbouring country, would be created the moment Albania showed respect to the human rights of the ethnic Greeks. "Since the Albanian government does not realise this, there will be a hardening of sanctions at all levels," the announcement added. Political Spring (Pol.An) party spokesman, Akis Yerontopoulos, said the statement by the Albanian Foreign Minister "clearly shows the real pursuit and immorality of the Berisha regime." Jack Lang --------- Athens, 18/8/1994 (ANA): Former French Culture and Education Minister and a prominent Socialist Eurodeputy, Jack Lang, said in Athens yesterday: "I am afflicted and upset by the arbitrary and brutal behaviour of Albania's administrative and judicial authorities toward the Greek community there, as well as journalists and observers who went to Tirana." "Such approach runs counter to law, justice, and democracy," he said. "I wish that France and the other European Union countries will show firm solidarity with Greece," he said, adding that he would write the President of the European Parliament asking him to consider the issue urgently. Vranitzky ---------- Vienna, 18/8/1994 (ANA-D.Dimitrakoudis): Austrian Chancellor Franz Vranitzky said yesterday in Vienna he received Premier Andreas Papandreou's letter on the trial of the five ethnic Greeks in Tirana and that he would consider it carefully and decide what action might be taken. Greece in close touch with WHO over Turkey cholera report --------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 18/8/1994 (ANA): Greece, worried by media reports of a cholera outbreak in Turkey, said yesterday it was in constant touch with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a bid to avert the reported epidemic from spreading. Health Minister Dimitris Kremastinos said closer co-operation with WHO was prompted by reports that two tourists had been infected during their stay in Turkey. Mr. Kremastinos said public health experts were daily monitoring water and sewage networks throughout the country, and health centres had been placed on alert to deal with possible cases of the water-borne disease. Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that causes vomiting and diarrhoea. It leads to severe dehydration and can be fatal within hours. The disease is usually spread by contaminated water and food. Turkish government officials have not confirmed the cholera outbreak, ascribing reported illnesses to gastrointestinal disorders. Meanwhile main Opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert, accused the government of not taking precautionary measures in light of the epidemic. He was speaking during a tour yesterday at the border post of Kipoi Evrou. Opposition leader on Maastricht review -------------------------------------- Athens, 18/8/1994 (ANA): Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert speaking during a tour of the border check post at Kipon Evrou, yesterday said Greece's outposts are the points at which Europe begins, and they separate the country from a large world which exists on the "other side". Mr. Evert added it is wrong on the part of the "other side" not to realise that in contemporary life peoples should co-exist and noted: "Our objective should be in 1996 when the Maastricht Treaty comes up for revision to include a new article providing for a machinery of intervention, in the event of threat to any EU country ."