Greek authorities on Wednesday jailed the abbot of a 1,000-year-old Greek Orthodox monastery accused of playing a key role in an alleged land swap scandal with the state.
Abbot Efraim, 55, was led to the Korydallos prison outside Athens Wednesday morning after spending the night in the capital’s police headquarters following a 600-kilometer (370-mile) journey from Vatopedi, located in the Orthodox monastic sanctuary of Mount Athos in northern Greece.
On Tuesday night, several hundred monks, nuns and other demonstrators gathered outside a central court building to protest Efraim’s arrest.
His arrest has triggered protests.
The right-wing Laos party, which is in Greece’s governing coalition, condemned the abbot’s arrest.
“They rushed Ephraim to jail on Christmas Eve while others who have embezzled Greek people’s money remain at large,” said Laos leader George Karatzaferis.
Speaking to Skai TV, Bishop Anthimos of Thessaloniki wondered why Ephraim was the only person among the 32 involved in the Vatopedi land swap to be remanded in custody.
“People are wondering whether Ephraim is being made a scapegoat,” said the bishop, who insisted that the Church of Greece’s Holy Synod would not take a position on the matter.
“There is the problem of meddling in judicial matters,” he said. “The church is totally separate from the state.”
No trial date has been set, and the abbot’s lawyers are expected to apply for his release. Under Greek law, suspects can be jailed for up to 18 months pending trial.
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