On 5 October 1994 Christos Sideropoulos will stand trial for a statement he reportedly made at a press conference which was held in parallel with the meeting on minority rights of the CSCE in Denmark on 10 June 1990. He reportedly declared to the journalists present that he belongs to the ethnic Macedonian minority in Greece and that his cultural rights were being violated. In May 1994, under Article 191 of the Greek Penal Code, he was charged with “spreading false information which may cause disruption of the international relations of Greece”. If he is convicted he faces a possible term of imprisonment of up to several years and heavy fines. Amnesty International is calling for all charges against him to be dropped.
