Police authorities proceeded with the arrest of a Russian monk at Macedonia Airport in Thessaloniki. The monk, who was referred for trial in a summary court, had been illegally residing in Greek territory for the past 3 years, during which time he allegedly lived at the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon on Mount Athos, also known as the Russian Monastery. The monk was attempting to travel to Constantinople with Moscow as his final destination when it was discovered that he did not possess the required travel documents to justify his legal stay in the country.
According to reports, he came to Greece in early 2022 with a 2-month residence permit. When the permit expired, he visited Mount Athos, obtaining a residence certificate valid for three days – however, he remained for more than three years.
“I planned to return to my homeland in 2022 but couldn’t find a ticket”
“I planned to return to my homeland in 2022 but couldn’t find a ticket. I have been living all these years at the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon, now I want to return…” he said in his defense, claiming ignorance of the offense attributed to him. “I thought I would simply pay a fine,” he added.
The Summary Single-Member Misdemeanor Court of Thessaloniki where he was tried found him guilty under the new law on illegal residence, imposing a prison sentence of 2 years and a monetary fine of 5,000 euros, without suspension or conversion. Since the sentence, according to the law, is not executed if the convicted person voluntarily wishes to return to their homeland, the monk declared that this was his intention anyway – to repatriate.
