Greek foreign minister seeks judicial intervention over death threats
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias on Thursday claimed that he has received dozens of threats against himself and his family, and challenged judicial authorities for failing to take action.
“I have received 800 letters threatening my life and my family. I have received boxes of dirt soaked in blood and bullets. Where is the prosecutor? These are serious crimes and I don’t see anyone reacting,” he told 24/7 Radio.
“I have tracked down the telephone numbers, addresses and names of people who have made threatening phone calls. Yet all the authorities have done is issue warnings,” he claimed.
Kotzias suggested that the majority of the threats concern his handling of the name deal with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and said that while he respects the public’s right to oppose the deal, protesters should refrain from incendiary slogans.
The foreign minister went on to suggest that the opposition New Democracy party has contributed to such “hate rhetoric.”
