Blogger convicted for page mocking Orthodox priest
A 27-year-old fish farm employee, who set up a satirical Facebook page mocking a deceased Orthodox monk whose sayings have gained prominence in recent years, was given Thursday a 10-month suspended sentence for blasphemy by an Athens court.
Filippos Loizos, 27, and his lawyer expressed surprise and disappointment at the verdict. “It was clear that from the start the court was not willing to take my argument on board,” said the blogger, who insisted that he set up the page to satirize the sudden interest in the life of Elder Paisios.
Loizos used the name Elder Pastitsios and edited photos of Paisios so a pastitsio – a Greek dish consisting of pasta, bechamel and ground beef – appeared in place of his face.
“The judges were very aggressive and it seemed they did not want to understand what the page was about,” added the blogger.
Loizos was arrested in 2012 after Golden Dawn MP Christos Pappas, who is now in custody on suspicion of being part of a criminal gang, raised the issue regarding the Facebook page in Parliament.
