MHRMI Condemns Greece’s Blacklisting Of Macedonians – OpEd

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Slavko Mangovski, MHRMI International Coordinator and a dual-citizen of the US and Macedonia, was denied entry into Greece on October 24, 2016 at the Medzitlija/Niki (Negochani) border crossing. He was told by border officials that he is on the “list of undesirables”, Greece’s blacklist of Macedonian human rights activists, despite being previously removed from it due to pressure from local human rights organizations. He was placed on Greece’s blacklist again after being a guest at a gala banquet held by Macedonian Human Rights Movement International on June 1, 2013 in Toronto.

Representatives from the US Embassy in Athens were told by the border officials that they had “no record of the incident”, despite border documents being issued (see www.mhrmi.org/news/2016/october27_e.asp). MHRMI immediately followed up with the US State Department to investigate the continued abuse by Greek officials against Macedonians and its large Macedonian minority.

Furthermore, the documents refer to “FYROM”, with the European Union logo on prominent display. MHRMI not only condemns Greece’s actions, but the European Union in allowing a member-state to negate and violate an entire ethnic group’s rights to its own name, ethnicity, identity, culture and language. MHRMI calls on the EU to:

  • force Greece to abolish its racist blacklist;
  • immediately denounce Greece’s persecution of Macedonians;
  • enforce all of the European Court of Human Rights judgements against it;
  • denounce the Greek-initiated name dispute with Macedonia;
  • compel its member-states to uphold and adhere to the human rights conventions that it espouses as core European values

Failure to do so would only indicate the European Union’s lack of commitment to its own stated ideals and a continued blind eye to Greece’s anti-Macedonian, anti-minority conduct and policy.

*Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986

7 thoughts on “MHRMI Condemns Greece’s Blacklisting Of Macedonians – OpEd

  • October 28, 2016 at 9:42 pm
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    MHRMI? Really? The very name is racist and insulting and corrupt in that Macedonia is a state in the HELLENIC Republic. But Skopians only care about their own selfish lusts. Their deliberate creation of maps featuring large hunks of Hellas as their own, their claims to Hellenic culture and history, their bald faced lies…

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  • October 29, 2016 at 3:14 am
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    MHRMI is nothing more than an irredentist nationalist front and Bill Nicholov a hate filled fraud. Eurasia Review makes itself look like a crackpot organization by allowing ultra nationalist hate mongers like Bill Nicholov a podium.

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  • October 29, 2016 at 7:29 am
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    There is only one true Macedonia, and that is part of Greece.

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  • October 29, 2016 at 6:40 pm
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    “allowing a member-state to negate and violate an entire ethnic group’s rights to its own name, ethnicity, identity, culture and language”

    That;s exactly what the former Yugoslavians are trying to dog to Greeks. Trying to erase the very identity of Greeks so that obvious anti-Hellenic Slavs can ridiculously claim to be founders of the Hellenistic period. Bill Nicholov lecturing about “racism”… when he himself is a sick ultra nationalist bigot whose devoted his life to ranting about Greeks, is ironic.

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  • December 4, 2016 at 3:51 pm
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    December 26, 1944
    This Government considers talk of Macedonian “nation,” Macedonian “Fatherland,” or Macedonian “national consciousness” to be unjustified demagoguery representing no ethnic nor political reality, and sees in its present revival a possible cloak for aggressive intentions against Greece.
    U.S. State Dept. Foreign Relations Vol.VIII, Circular Airgram [868.014/12–2644] Edward R. Stettinus, Jr. (October 22, 1900 – October 31, 1949) United States Secretary of State under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, serving from 1944 to 1945.

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  • December 4, 2016 at 3:55 pm
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    When it comes to propaganda and falsification of history, Bill Nicholov and friends take the cake.
    For all serious people interested in politics and history and “human rights” all one has to do to see the true intentions of this supposed “human rights organization” that cries foul at every instance of imagined transgressions by Greece is to look at their symbols used on their pages.
    First, they show a fantasy country above their text logo comprised of 3 territories of foreign countries – that of Greece (south), Albania (west) and Bulgaria (east).
    By supporting a group (a supposed “human rights” group) with such a symbol, you are supporting the break up of three countries in the Balkans by an aggressive country seeking expansion to fulfill the Comintern goals of 1944 of access to the Aegean Sea – a goal that died after the Greek Civil War ended. Unfortunately, no one in Skopje got the message.
    Second, they also use a Greek symbol protected under WIPO copyright – in this case the pan-Hellenic Vergina star which is also part of the interim agreement in that the FYROM (and their propagandists) are prohibited from using.
    The verdict is yours!

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  • January 9, 2017 at 7:56 am
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    Identity theft is not a human right, it’s a crime!!

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