Greece police summon Macedonians for questioning over language use

The Macedonian movement for the promotion of the mother tongue, ‘Krste Misirkov’, has reported that Macedonian individuals are being summoned by police in Greece for questioning as part of a criminal investigation. The investigation reportedly involves 15 individuals and two organizations.

The police summons follow a complaint filed by two Greek citizens with the Florina Prosecutor's Office. The complaint was based on a video from a July 19 celebration in Ovcharani (Meliti), which shows a group of people singing and dancing to the song ‘Aleksandar, Tsar Makedonski’. The Greek complainants are seeking to determine if the song lyrics, gestures, and behavior depicted in the video constitute a criminal offense.

The ‘Krste Misirkov’ movement stated they will organize a response against what they describe as attempts to intimidate Macedonians who publicly use the Macedonian language and songs. It remains unclear how Greek authorities will categorize the use of the language and the specific content of the songs under national law.