From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Fri, 12 Aug 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, August 12, 1994 -------------------------------------------- * Greece`s shelf rights ``full and inalienable``, Hague should settle dispute * NEIC: Ethnic Greeks tortured to confess crimes * George Papandreou * Bill restores DEH exclusive rights on all energy facets Greece`s shelf rights ``full and inalienable``, Hague should settle dispute ---------------------------------------------- Athens, 12 Aug. 1994 (ANA): Greece's sovereign rights, including those relating to the Aegean continental shelf, are "full and inalienable", Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas said yesterday. Mr. Bikas was commenting on a statement by his Turkish counterpart, Ferhat Ataman, in Ankara Wednesday, claiming that the right to conduct scientific research in international waters was a fundamental element of the principle of freedom in open seas. "The Turkish side should be reminded that invoking rights and obligations stemming from international law cannot be either selective or distorting. International law effect or implementation is no matter of wilful interpretation," Mr. Bikas noted. "Greek sovereign rights, including those relating to the (Aegean) continental shelf are full and inalienable," he stressed. "The issue of delineating the Aegean continental shelf is the only Greek-Turkish dispute," Mr. Bikas reiterated. "Greece's unswerving position is that it should be referred to the International Court of Justice at The Hague for settlement," he said. NEIC: Ethnic Greeks tortured to confess crimes ---------------------------------------------- Athens, 12 Aug. 1994 (ANA): The Northern Epirus Initiative Committee yesterday accused Albanian authorities of torturing the six ethnic Greeks facing trial in Tirana to confess to crimes they did not commit. Committee spokesman Lazaros Papadimitrakis told a press conference that evidence of torture was based on testimony by detainees and relatives. Mr. Papadimitrakis charged that the six leading members of the ethnic Greek political organisation "Omonia" had been subjected to "savage torture, worse than that used under the Hodja regime." He said that they had also been deprived of even the most fundamental human rights during their arrest and detention. The six are to go on trial in Tirana Monday. Five are facing charges of treason and the sixth illegal possession of arms. The Greek government has pledged to take "swift and decisive measures" if the six are convicted. Mr. Papadimitrakis alleged that for the first 72 hours of their detention, some of the detainees had been denied water, chained and kept in isolation. "They were beaten mercilessly, subjected to electric shock and psychological violence, threats against relatives, in an attempt to make them confess to being responsible for the Episkopi incident," Mr. Papadimitrakis said. The committee spokesman was referring to the April 10 attack on a conscript training centre in southern Albania, resulting in the death of two soldiers. The incident sparked tension between Tirana and Athens. "In addition," Mr. Papadimitrakis continued, "all detainees were denied visits and lawyers. Later, they were not allowed to choose their own counsel." Following the visit of CSCE High Commissioner for ethnic minorities Max van der Stoel, Mr. Papadimitrakis said, the detainees were allowed a limited number of visits which, however, took place in the presence of Albanian policemen and with concealed microphones. Mr. Papadimitrakis charged that psychological violence had been used against the detainees before their meeting with Mr. van der Stoel, in a bid to intimidate them into not reporting anything about torture. The committee spokesman also charged that medicine taken by some of the detainees prior to their arrest had been removed from them, "directly placing their lives in danger". Mr. Papadimitrakis underlined the fact that the six had been arrested "for no specific reason", while the list of charges against them had been drawn up 100 days after their arrest. The Northern Epirus Initiative Committee includes more than thirty cultural, political and labour groups. George Papandreou ---------------- Education and Religious Affairs Minister George Papandreou yesterday met with former Albanian Vice President Milos Pashko on Balkan issues, Greek-Albanian relations and ethnic minority rights. The focal point of their discussion was acute tension in relations between the two countries, owing to the upcoming trial of the six leading ethnic Greek members of "Omonia". Bill restores DEH exclusive rights on all energy facets --------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 12 Aug. 1994 (ANA): A draft bill tabled by Industry and Energy Minister Costas Simitis yesterday re-establishes the Public Power Corporation's (DEH) exclusive right to produce, import, export, transport and distribute electrical energy throughout the country. The bill abolishes Law 2165/93 and Article 62 of Law 1914/91, enacted by the previous government, establishing the right of private companies to establish energy production units and then sell energy to DEH. The bill provides for the full incorporation of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) production into the energy planning of the country, giving their development and utilisation top priority. In this context, the RES sector is deregulated and exempted from DEH monopoly, with private companies and local authorities being entitled, under specific conditions, to establish and operate power stations, and either cover their own needs, or sell energy to DEH. In well-defined terms, the bill provides for the production of electric power by independent stations, through the utilisation of wind, solar, geothermal, and wave energy, biomass, or through the joint production of heat and electricity. The bill prohibits independent producers to provide power to third parties and allows local authorities to supply rural areas that are not yet part of the national grid. A strategic aim of the bill is to provide Greece with energy self-sufficiency.