Bishop receives suspended sentence for unlawful removal of objects from church
A metropolitan bishop and his deputy have received a 30-month prison sentence, suspended for three years, after being found guilty of the unlawful removal of valuable religious objects from a church in northern Greece.
A five-member appeal court in Thessaloniki found that Bishop Ierotheos Zichni and Nevrokopi and a protosyncellus from the same diocese had removed the items from the Timiou Prodromos church in Agista, Serres.
The case concerns religious artefacts dating back to before 1830, including chalices and a cross, which were to be sent for conservation.
A local resident had noticed the objects were missing when he sought to photograph them as part of a study.
The defendants were not present in court.
Through their lawyers, they denied the charge, claiming that the items were returned to the church after conservation.
