| Update on Giorgos
Monastiriotis: appeal hearing on 31 October 2006 Association of Greek Conscientious Objectors, 31 October 2006 I hope you are all fine. I am sending you the news of today's trial. Giorgos Monastiriotis, 27, who had joined the Greek Navy on a five-year contract, refused to follow his unit when the frigate "Navarino" on which he was serving was sent to the Persian Gulf in May 2003. He cited conscientious reasons and declared his resignation from the Navy (there is no right to resign under these five-year contracts). In his public refusal in May 2003, he stated that: "I refuse on grounds of conscience to participate in or contribute by any means to the relentless massacre of the Iraqi people... My refusal is also a minimal act of solidarity with the Iraqi people as well as to the peaceful sentiments of the Greek people." In September 2004 Giorgos Monastiriotis was arrested and sentenced by the Naval Court of Piraeus to 40 months' imprisonment for desertion because he didn't follow his unit to the Persian Gulf. He was taken immediately to prison in Corinth, where he remained imprisoned for 22 days until his temporary release pending an appeal hearing. In January 2005 he was sentenced again by the Naval Court of Piraeus for a second desertion because he didn't return to his unit after his release. He was convicted to five months' suspended imprisonment. At his appeal hearing for the first desertion on 31 October 2006, the Appeal Military Court of Athens sentenced him to 24 months' imprisonment suspended for 3 years. He was convicted but with suspension, so he is free. Giorgos Monastiriotis' convictions constitute a violation of his right to change his beliefs and develop a conscientious objection after joining the armed forces. In addition, the repeated convictions of Giorgos Monastiriotis for desertion violate Article 14, paragraph 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that: "No one shall be liable to be tried or punished again for an offence for which he has been finally convicted or acquitted in accordance with the law and penal procedure of each country." The prosecutions against Giorgos Monastiriotis must stop and the legal framework must be amended so that the right to conscientious objection is recognized for professional soldiers. |