Sotiris Bletsas

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Sotiris Bletsas is an architect and Aromanian language activist from Greece.

In 1995, at an Aromanian festival in Greece, he distributed some EBLUL material about linguistic minorities in Greece [1]. In 2001 he was put on trial for "propaganda against the Greek state" [2]. The case drew protest from the Greek Helsinki Monitor [1] and from abroad [2] [1].

He was first found guilty and sentenced to fifteen months in jail and fined 500,000 drachmas for "dissemination of false information" under Article 191 of Greece's penal code [3].

He appealed the decision and was subsequently found not guilty on the 18 October 2001. [2] [4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b A protest of the Association of Aromanians in France (AFA) outlining the details of Bletsas' arrest and conviction (in French): http://www.greekhelsinki.gr/bhr/english/countries/greece/comunicatafa.doc (HTML version from Google: http://209.85.129.104/search?q=cache:gQHA8fMJBiMJ:www.greekhelsinki.gr/bhr/english/countries/greece/comunicatafa.doc+sotiris+bletsas&hl=ro&gl=ro&ct=clnk&cd=3)
  2. ^ a b Thede Kahl, Istoria Aromânilor ("The History of Aromanians"), Editura Tritonic, 2005, Bucureşti, ISBN 973-733-041-2, p. 59, 133-134; some more references are provided there.
  3. ^ "It's not Greek enough for them", http://www.vlachophiles.net/index_on_censorship.htm
  4. ^ "Minority Language Activist Bletsas Found Not Guilty in Historic Court Decision", http://www.florina.org/html/2001/2001_bletsas_acquitted.html


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