Turkish consular secretary and cook on passenger ship found guilty of espionage against Greece

Rhodes court convicts two arrested persons of espionage against Greece In the past year… Both men are members of the Muslim minority in Thrace.

One of them worked as a secretary at the Turkish Consulate General in Rhodes, and the other as a cook on a ferry that ply the Rhodes-Kastelorizo ​​route. The secretary was sentenced to five years in prison, and the cook to four.

Greek media reportedthat both are representatives Muslim a minority of Greece living in the north of the country in Thrace, and they were under surveillance for several months.

Before arresting the suspects, the police wanted enough evidence to be found, which they did, while the arrests of the two persons involved in the case took place almost simultaneously. According to the inquiry commission of the Rhodes Council of Criminal Procedure, two Greek Muslims committed the crimes attributed to them between August and November 2020.

The cooks were accused of providing the secretary with information on the positions of Greek warships and the number of troops heading to and from the remote island of Kastelorizo ​​on the ship where he worked. Convicted of espionage, initial indications the chef spoke in detail about his activities together with a Greek citizen working in the Turkish consulate. His job was to collect information about the movement of Greek ships and photograph them. The seaman passed the received materials to his 35-year-old accomplice from the Turkish consulate. Both were found not guilty on charges of supporting enemy combat units and violating state secrets.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry immediately reacted to the conviction, stating: “All principles of law have been violated, including international and private international law.”

“Even the right to defense was violated due to procedural violations of the court. The prosecutor and the panel of judges acted in a biased manner, ”the statement reads. The ministry said that “all necessary steps within the framework of Greek domestic law and international law will continue to be taken in order to protect the rights of our employees.”

According to local media reports, Greek diplomatic sources commented on Turkey’s statement that the Greek justice system is independent and no attempts to intervene are allowed.

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