A Russian monk from Mount Athos was detained at Macedonia airport for “illegal stay”

An unusual case was considered in Thessaloniki: at the airport “Macedonia” was detained Russian monkwho lived for more than three years on Afon without legal grounds for staying in the country.

The man tried to fly into Istanbulto return to Moscow from there, but during the check it turned out that his residence permit expired in 2022.

According to police, the monk arrived in Greece with a two-month visa and subsequently visited Monastery of St. Panteleimonwhere I received a three-day diamonitirion – document for stay on Mount Athos. However, he remained to live there, without leaving the monastery, for more than three years, as “a guest who forgot to leave.”

Defense arguments and court decision

At the meeting Thessaloniki Court The monk stated that he did not realize the severity of the violation: “I thought that I would just have to pay a fine. I was planning to return back in 2022, but I couldn’t buy a ticket,” he explained. The defense lawyer asked the court to take into account the religious status of the accused and the lack of criminal intent.

However, the court found the monk guilty of new law on illegal stay and imposed a punishment – two years imprisonment and fine at 5,000 euroswithout the right to conditional release or commutation of sentence.

Double standards

This case has caused debate in the Greek media because, as commentators note, tens thousands of illegal migrants remain in Greece every year without documents and are not subject to such harsh punishment. The authorities seem to have decided “to demonstrate rigor” on an Orthodox monk from Russia.

According to current legislation, the sentence is not executed if the convicted person voluntarily agrees leave the country. The monk took advantage of this right and declared his intention return to Russia.

His story became a symbol of the strange selectivity of Greek justice: for some – leniency and temporary visas, for others – trial and a fine for a quiet life in a monastery.

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