Press release from the Centre for the Macedonian Language in Greece

On September 21, 2026, two appeals of seven individuals against the dissolution of the association with the name Centre for the Macedonian Language in Greece based in Florina/Lerin, Greece and aimed at preserving and cultivating the Macedonian language, as an indigenous language in Greece, are being heard at the Supreme Court / Court of Cassation of Greece.

These seven persons were the members of the board of directors of the association, which had been judicially recognized. Following the judicial recognition of the association, two lawsuits were initiated against its recognition, the first by the Florina Public Prosecutor and the association “Pan-Macedonian Union of the Macedonian Struggle of Greece – Australia”, in which other persons (natural and legal) also intervened, and the second by the Florina Public Prosecutor and the association “Pan-Hellenic Association of Descendants of Macedonian Fighters - Pavlos Melas”.

Those two trials issued two respective historic decisions regarding the fundamental rights in Greece. The decisions rejected the above lawsuits and by virtue of those decisions the “Center…” continued to exist legally. However, the opponents of the “Center…” filed two respective appeals against those two historic decisions, which were accepted by the Court of Appeal in Kozani, which adopted the positions of the opponents. Those positions were claiming that there was confusion regarding the purposes of the association and that there was a threat to public order in Greece. Therefore, with two respective decisions, the Court of Appeal ordered the dissolution of the association.

The two trials against the two decisions of the Court of Appeal will be held on September 21, 2026 at the Court of Cassation of Greece, as mentioned above. In the event that the Court of Cassation issues two negative decisions, similarly to the Court of Appeal, the Centre for the Macedonian Language in Greece will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, where until now associations in favor of minority rights in Greece have always been vindicated. However, a necessary condition for taking cases to the ECHR is that the levels of jurisdiction in Greece have first been exhausted, that is, that the two trials be conducted by the Court of Cassation of Greece.

For the costs of the two trials in the Supreme Court of Greece (court costs, taxes, lawyer's fees) the amount of 10,000.00 (ten thousand) euros must be collected by September 15, 2026.

The Centre for the Macedonian Language in Greece calls for financial support with any amount of money until the 10,000.00 euros are covered, to every person and collective interested in supporting the pivotal legal struggle for fundamental rights in Greece. Donations can be made through Macedonian Human Rights Movement International, whose invaluable support makes our work possible.

We, the members of the Centre for the Macedonian Language in Greece, thank you in advance.

Make your donation at mhrmi.org/donations, e-transfer info@mhrmi.org, or to make alternate arrangements, please contact Macedonian Human Rights Movement International. Contact information below:

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. MHRMI demands respect for Macedonia's name, identity and human rights for oppressed Macedonians in the Balkans. For more information: 1-416-850-7125, info@mhrmi.org, mhrmi.org, twitter.com/mhrmi, facebook.com/mhrmi, instagram.com/MacedonianHumanRights, #OurNameIsMacedonia
Donations: mhrmi.org/donations, e-transfer info@mhrmi.org, or contact us.