Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI)

[MHRMI]

He was a lot more receptive than Ivanov, and said that there's no way they'll change the name. But he obviously gave the "reasons" why the government thinks they have to negotiate. As usual, we gave them sh_t for continuing the negotiations and we told them to be much more vocal in demanding rights for Macedonians in all parts of Macedonia.

[George S.]

precisely the greek claims a more & more ludicrous.Making wild demands on Macedonia & expecting Macedonia to carry them out.How stupid or silly this is.Macedonia can decide to call itself what it wants not merely to satisfy the neighbour's irrendist demands.
Greece still demands Macedonian territory in appeasement not just the name or flag.After partition in 1912 it was said Greece wasn't happy with her share & wanted more territoryRemember how the supposedly temporary name of fyrom originated & propagated.We find Greece is not happy with that name even though they suggested the nonsensical name.Greece would never have chosen a name with the word Macedonia.We shouldn't underestimate that.Otherwise Macedonia could use it to enter nboth nato & the eu.That is the main reason Greece goes on that they have a problem with the name..

[MHRMI]

International Human Rights Day and the "Celebrations" of the Council of Europe

International Human Rights Day and the "Celebrations" of the Council of Europe

Lerin/Gorna Dzumaja/Pustec/Toronto/Melbourne - December 10/2013

Press Release - Vinozhito, OMO Ilinden PIRIN, MAEI, MHRMI and AMHRC

The Council of Europe held an event on November 25, 2013 to “celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Framework Convention (for the Protection of National Minorities)”.

It would have been more appropriate to revisit the failures of the implementation of the Framework Convention. A perfect opportunity would have been the Advisory Committee’s third visit to Bulgaria, which took place from November 11-15, 2013. Bulgaria has ratified the agreement but is free to continue denying the existence of its Macedonian minority, execute state-sponsored discrimination and ignore various European Court of Human Rights rulings in favour of the Macedonian minority. Greece, which has never ratified the agreement (was this fact really "celebrated" by the CoE?), is, of course, free to do the same.

According to the Council of Europe, the Framework Convention’s goals are “to protect within their respective territories the existence of national minorities” which has been an absolute failure, yet the CoE has the impudence to include the following, albeit well-intentioned but obviously unattainable (for the CoE) goal “Considering that a pluralist and genuinely democratic society should not only respect the ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity of each person belonging to a national minority, but also create appropriate conditions enabling them to express, preserve and develop this identity.”

Considering that the CoE cannot get Greece, one of its own member-states, to even admit the existence of any ethnic minorities on its territory, how does it expect to enforce the creation of “…appropriate conditions enabling them (minorities) to express, preserve and develop this identity.” ? One also has to wonder why a Greek representative was even permitted to attend the CoE "celebrations".

The Council of Europe would be well-advised to explain what methods they have in enforcing these principles and why, to date, they haven’t been used.

Furthermore, does the CoE not see the irony in referring to the Republic of Macedonia as “The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” (quotes included) in its list of member-states while it claims to be defending and promoting human rights? As “…the continent’s leading human rights organisation”, one would think that the CoE would understand the concept of self-identification.

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The European Free Alliance – Rainbow/Vinozhito is a political party of the Macedonian minority in Greece. The party has offices in Florina/Lerin and Edessa/Voden. For more information please visit www.vinozito.gr, or by email: [email protected] or on +30 23850 46548.

OMO “Ilinden” PIRIN is a political party supporting the rights of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. It has been banned since 2000, despite a 2005 European Court of Human Rights Judgement ruling that the decision was a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. For more information please visit www.omoilindenpirin.org.

The Macedonian Alliance for European Integration (MAEI) is a political party of the Macedonian minority in Albania advocating human rights for Macedonians throughout Albania. For more information please visit www.macedoniansinalbania.org.

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. For more information: www.mhrmi.org, www.twitter.com/mhrmi, www.facebook.com/mhrmi, [email protected], +1 416-850-7125.

Established in 1984, the Australian Macedonian Human Rights Committee (AMHRC) is a non-governmental organisation that informs and advocates before international institutions, governments and broader communities about combating racism and promoting human rights. Our aspiration is to ensure that Macedonian communities and other excluded groups throughout the world, are recognised, respected and afforded equitable treatment. For more information please visit www.macedonianhr.org.au, email [email protected] or via +61 3 9329 8960

[Gocka]

Very well put, there pure irony and hypocrisy is mind numbing. Is this really a cause for celebration, I think not.

[George S.]

the council of Europe is a wasted space it doesn't represent anyone in human rights least of all Macedonia.It has accomplished hyardly anything.From the ridiculous to the sublime what cause is there to celebrate.What being called fyrom is ok & give greeks the right to call themselves Macedonians by default give me a break.The council of Europe ias useflull as a pork chop in a barmizvah. Gocka no celebrations for you not till all of Macedonia gets total liberation.

[MHRMI]

Does the U.S. Ever Get its Foreign Policy Right?

Does the U.S. Ever Get its Foreign Policy Right?

How many times has the United States, in its “noble” goal to “spread freedom and democracy throughout the world” chosen the wrong side in a dispute that it had no business getting involved with in the first place, and subsequently wreaked havoc for decades afterward?

Well, consider the debacle that is the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece. In an interview with CNN on January 16, Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said that "Greece is not ready to make a compromise ... so we cannot solve the issue." Who in their right mind would even consider a discussion about changing their country’s name? Well, thanks to immense pressure by the United States, every Macedonian politician has done so since the beginning of the UN-sponsored name negotiations over 20 years ago.

Now who deserves more blame is debateable, Macedonia for negotiating its own name, the United States for holding it hostage and demanding that Macedonia change its name, or Greece for creating this mess in the first place? If Macedonia withdraws from the name negotiations, the United States has threatened everything from pulling economic and military support to claiming that a civil war would erupt with Macedonia’s Albanian minority.

What possible benefit could there be for the U.S. if Macedonia changes it name? Other than, of course, to continue appeasing Greece in their perverse romanticized relationship.

The myth of Ancient Greece was created by the West, as was modern Greece in 1830, and the propping up of Greece continues to this day. Greece was allowed to blatantly lie about its economic position, get into the Eurozone, cause the global economy to plummet, then get a huge bailout. It was permitted to use its veto power to deny Macedonia entry into NATO, despite every other member-state voting in favour of it. Greece loses a countless number of European Court of Human Rights cases, but there are no repercussions when it continues to persecute its ethnic minorities. Greece was the first country since Nazi Germany to elect members of a neo-Nazi party to parliament. And to make a splash, they elected 21 of them. Greece is the most openly racist country in the Western world, yet, it is celebrated as the “cradle of civilization” and “birthplace of democracy” at a time when even the idea of “Greece” as a unified entity didn’t exist.

The coddling of Greece continues with the nonsensical name negotiations. Former Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis admitted in 1995 that Greece initiated the name dispute as an excuse to keep denying the existence, and persecution, of its large Macedonian minority and the Macedonian people as a whole. It has been stringing the world along in the claim that Macedonia is trying to usurp an “historically Greek” name. But, until 1988, Greece’s well-documented policy was that Macedonia did not exist. Yet it’s complete 180 degree turn on this issue goes unchecked. Greece annexed half of Macedonia’s territory after its partition in 1913 and tried to eradicate its very existence, then decided to claim that Macedonia’s land belongs to them, but the people still do not exist. It is, in fact, Greece that is trying to usurp Macedonia’s name, but God forbid anyone exposes this propaganda reversal.

Instead of dangling the “prizes” of NATO and EU membership if Macedonia changes its name, Western Europe and the United States should actually practice the ideals of basic human rights that they preach, and support Macedonia in ending the name negotiations. Especially considering that the vast majority of the world has recognized Macedonia using its proper name including, of course, the United States.

Bill Nicholov, President
Macedonian Human Rights Movement International

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Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. For more information: www.mhrmi.org, www.twitter.com/mhrmi, www.facebook.com/mhrmi, [email protected], +1 416-850-7125.

[George S.]

Nhmri very well put the us is really mollycoddling Greece .It is trying to appease Greece as if it has some legitimate matter at hand.You got to admit its the heavy duty lobbying that the greeks have done in the last couple years.Yes the us recognized Macedonia but its backtracking trying to retract some weight.You can forget about the thetoric of human rights as the us only pays lip service to that.How many countries have fallen by the wayside because of us inaction..THen you got the un head monke moon saying we have a righto call ourselves what we want.THey are all kidding themselves.What we expect from us diplomacy is nothing short of full recognition.Greece will not recognize us as long as we don't have a solid footing in what we are doing.JUst rember they are doing it because we think we are weak & think we have to do what they tell us.This is a wrong attitude that's where we are simply giving in to Greece the bully. Also news is circling that its all a name dispute.I have been telling that Greece is muddying the waters & bullying Macedonia into a so called dispute of which it isn't.Its all supposed to force Macedonia to change her name & so Greece will get a monopoly over the name.Can someone tell me how a name of a province can affect a name of a country.The Truth is that it doesn't.Call it a one sided name dispute as we don't have a dispute who we are.Greece is just bluffing in order to make us change our name..Greece will never be happy until macedoonia is totally destroyed remember we don't exist by their standards.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Now who deserves more blame is debateable, Macedonia for negotiating its own name, the United States for holding it hostage and demanding that Macedonia change its name, or Greece for creating this mess in the first place?

Nearly every nation in the world has another nation that opposes them in some way for one reason or another. Macedonia is no different in that respect. I blame Macedonia's politicians for being spineless cowards and not drawing a line in the sand like they should have done two decades ago.

If Macedonia withdraws from the name negotiations, the United States has threatened everything from pulling economic and military support to claiming that a civil war would erupt with Macedonia’s Albanian minority.

The Macedonian governments are just as responsible as Greece for prolonging this situation. The IC treat us this way because that is the impression our politicians have given to them. Macedonia needs to show integrity and withdraw from the negotiations immediately. Eventually, the IC will begin to ignore Greece's unreasonable demands, if not for any other reason then for the sake of progress. Or is the US suggesting that the country would crumble if they pull out their economic assistance? Are they threatening instability if Macedonia doesn't completely sell out? As for the apparent "civil war", I wonder, would ethnic Albanians attack Macedonians for not selling their identity? And would the IC support them in such a cause?

[George S.]

in regards to the name negotiations,maceoniia has done itself otal disservice by keeping the name negotiations going.By doing that as various requests have been put on them to meet the eu requirements.Macedonia cannot enter nato or eu without changing their name.Politicians the cowards that they are are still discussing names & having dialogue.At a time when Macedonia has been asked to pull out of the name discussions the diaspora & others for our betterment.Macedonia has defied the odds & kept discussing the name by looking for suitables with greece..Not only this but Albanians have added their weight for away for Macedonia to enter nato & the eu.They are in support of a name change.
Also there were people who thought perhaps Macedonia could enter nato or eu with the provisional name which was accepted by Greece originally in the un.The fact remains that Greece demands from Macedonia to change her name & cannot enter with the fyrom name acronym.We cannot obtain assistance from the us because they have already decided in support of Greece's stance to change our name.So can we ask the hypothetical questions of whther Greece stands for the cradle of democracy & does the us stand fro freedom & democracy.Both can be answered with one answer self interest is the key but then why doesn't Macedonia look after her own interests & stop discussing her name.A majority of its citizenry does not want a`name change,so why are politicians still discussing our name & name options.Do they have the right to be discussing our name & to even change it??In a democracy the govt shouldn'y be allowed to tinker with the name.

[MHRMI]

MHRMI Condemns Greece’s Harassment of Human Rights Defender Panayote Dimitras

MHRMI Condemns Greece’s Harassment of Human Rights Defender Panayote Dimitras

In response to the International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture request for urgent intervention (https://www.omct.org/human-rights-de...2014/01/d22535), Macedonian Human Rights Movement International condemns the ongoing judicial harassment of human rights defender and Greek Helsinki Monitor Spokesperson, Panayote Dimitras.

Mr. Dimitras was indicted on charges of perjury and defamation of Konstantinos Plevris, a member lawyer of the Athens Bar Association and author of the anti-Semitic book “The Jews: The Whole Truth”, which glorifies Hitler and calls for the extermination of Jews. In 2009, Dimitras was a witness in a trial in which Plevris originally received a suspended sentence of 14 months for “incitation to racial violence and hatred and for racial insults”. The other three defendants were acquitted of the same charges. Mr. Plevris appealed the sentence and was later acquitted.

In his defence deposition before the trial, Plevris accused Dimitras of being “a wretched traitor of Greece, actively and publicly supporting the existence of a Macedonian minority in this country”, and being “the object of a complaint for treason against the Fatherland”. Plevris also claimed that Andrea Gilbert, GHM specialist on anti-Semitism, was “a Jewish-American who boasts of representing homosexual women, meaning that she is a psychologically defective, sexually perverted person who, as she does not respect her female nature, does not respect the truth either”.

Instead of prosecuting openly racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic lawyers, politicians, religious leaders and others, Greece chooses to target minorities and minority rights advocates.

Rather than appealing to Greek authorities, who conduct this state-sponsored persecution, MHRMI calls on the international community to condemn Greece’s practice of harassing minorities and human rights defenders and to force Greece to conform to the various human rights treaties to which it is a signatory.

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Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. For more information: www.mhrmi.org, www.twitter.com/mhrmi, www.facebook.com/mhrmi, [email protected], +1 416-850-7125.

[George S.]

Congrats,well said & acted accordingly.big bully Greece has to be made accountable & that is on the world stage.

[Sweet Sixteen]

Uh, wait buddy. So Constantine Pleures has sued (back) Demetras, thus Demetras faces a trial. That’s kinda normal. How do you accuse Greece of harassing Demetras.

If I sue Demetras myself or if I sue Pleures or both they will face trial. If they sue me, I’ll face a trial.

You would be more serious, fair and useful if you had explained and analyzed the accusations against Demetras or comment on how valid, unfair or ridiculous they are. Even though I live in Greece I haven’t heard of this legal dispute and (at first glance) it doesn’t seem a very serious and noteworthy one.

[Risto the Great]

I think the accusations and defences are explained well enough. It seems clear that many in Greece remain in the dark ages.

[George S.]

sss You are kjidding you aren't aware that Greece does any harassment on normal people who defend themselves.There are cases upon cases in the human rights watch .THey concluded that Greece is a BULLY harassing people for none other than being Macedonian or speaking Macedonian..You are just talking out of your arse ss if you think Greece is ok.As fara as human rights Greece has the worst record in the eu.

[Soldier of Macedon]

You would be more serious, fair and useful if you had explained and analyzed the accusations against Demetras or comment on how valid, unfair or ridiculous they are.

Plevris is suing Dimitras for perjury and defamation. You live there, so can you find out what apparent 'falsehoods' Dimitras said about this anti-Semitic maggot?