Selection: Michalis Katsigeras

GLEZOS CASE: The Foreign Ministry has announced that King Pavlos will not able to reply to a message from the chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, Field Marshal Kliment Voroshilov, since the country’s democratic constitution does not permit the head of state to interfere in the judicial process in any way. The Soviet Embassy in Athens had forwarded the letter to King Pavlos, appealing on behalf of Manolis Glezos who is currently on trial for espionage. The letter makes reference to the many appeals made by various organizations, scientists and intellectuals as well as from ordinary citizens of the Soviet Union and other countries. “Irrespective of this fact, His Majesty has absolute confidence that the Greek justice system will carry out its duty in this particular case that has also attracted the attention of Field Marshal Voroshilov, just as it does in every other case.” Meanwhile, in a related development, at yesterday’s session of Glezos’s hearing before a military tribunal in Athens, the defense’s request to have one of the witnesses for the prosecution, a police officer, exempted from the proceedings, was refused. No reasons were given for the tribunal’s rejection of the request.