PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION TO THE MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS, & PUBLIC ORDER AND CITIZEN PROTECTION Topic: Decision to deny entry to an attorney from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia At 11.20 a.m. on 7 November 2014, at the Evzone border station, the Police Department forbade entry to Trendafilka Sandeva because, according to the bilingual document she was issued, “she was listed undesirable [sic] on the national register.” Trendafilka Sandeva, an attorney, was accompanying three clients and the driver of the vehicle (all five had passports from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) en route to a notary in Thessaloniki, where the clients were to sign over special powers of attorney to Greek lawyers (of Greek Helsinki Monitor) necessary for litigation before Greek administrative courts. The denial of entry – only to Ms Sandeva – severely hindered the procedure, given that the people she accompanied spoke neither Greek nor any other language that would enable them to communicate with third parties in Greece. Trendafilka Sandeva has visited Greece many times in the past without problem. Among these visits was her entry on 19 July 2010, when she was accompanying the same clients and many others to sign over general powers of attorney to Greek lawyers (of Greek Helsinki Monitor). In the face of the above, The Ministers are asked: 1. Why has attorney Trendafilka Sandeva been included in the list of undesirable persons, since, from the above, it seems that the only reason is the defense of clients on behalf of whom she has acted in appeal before the Greek courts? 2. If this was an error, will this decision be reversed and will Ms Sandeva be issued an apology? 3. Given that it appears that the police took this decision to prevent similar appeals to Greek justice, will there be a disciplinary and judicial investigation of this decision in order to seek and assign blame? 4. Does the government consider this action compatible with the Interim Agreement between the two countries? 5. What are the languages of the bilingual documents containing decisions to refuse entry at the Evzone border station to persons holding passports of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia? Are the documents comprehensible to these persons? QUESTION TABLED BY DEMOCRATIC LEFT (DIMAR) MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT MARIA YANNAKAKI [translated in English by Greek Helsinki Monitor] Maria Yannakaki Nafsika Papanikolatou
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 12:59:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015