Dr. K. George Pedersen, President 

Simon Fraser University 

Burnaby, British Columbia 

V5A 1S6 

Ottawa, K1A 0G2 

March 

25,

1980

Dear Dr. Pedersen: 

I refer to your letter of February 18 to my predecessor, Miss 

MacDonald, concerning charges brought by theGreek:authorities against 

Dr. A. Kazepides. I can as'sure you that the concern- manifested by you 

and the Senate of Simon Fraser University for a fellow educator and 

his freedom of expression are readily understandable to me. 

While I am not certain that it would be proper for the 

Canadian government to intervene officially in this matter, I have 

nevertheless, given instructions that the Canadian interest in the 

charges laid against Dr. Kazepides, and the concerns expressed in 

your letter, should be brought to the attention of the Greek author- 

ities. Accordingly, the Canadian Embassy in Greece has thdicated 

Canadian interest in the case to the Greek Ministry of Foreign 

Affairs and the Ambassador has brought the grave concerns expressed 

by yourself and by the Senate of Simon Fraser University to the atten- 

tion of the Greek authorities at a high level. 

Yours sincerely, 

Mark MacGuigan 

• ? 

'te

OTTAWA, March 7, 1980. 

TO SENATE 

581.1/732 

?

ibi

?

0

FOR INFORMATION 

Mr. George Pedersen, 

President, 

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY, 

BURNABY, British Columbia. 

V5A 1S6 

Mr. President, 

I wish to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 

February 18th, by which you were kind enough to inform me of 

the motion of your Senate about the charges brought against 

Professor Kazepides in Greece. 

In reply, I would like to inform you of the following. 

I am fully appreciative for the concern which your 

Senate voiced on the case. It is good to hear such voices 

whenever there is even the shadow of a suspicion that somewhere 

in the world persons are treated unfairly. 

May I point out that in the case of Professor 

Kazepides, the motion which was unanimously adopted by your 

Senate is based on incorrect assumptions which, I am sure, you 

accepted in perfect good faith. These assumptions do not 

reflect the facts. It is not the Greek Government which levelled 

the charges. They were the result of a move by a district 

attorney and only the court can rule on them. Surely the 

district attorneys, in any country of the world, have the power 

to bring charges and in no country can the executive intervene 

particularly once the charges have been filed. Only a court 

can decide on the merits or demerits of such legal action. 

The Greek Government, that is the executive, cannot 

take any action through advice, suggestions or otherwise to the 

judiciary. This would be a case of the executive's interference 

in the judiciary and the law does not allow for the withdrawal 

of an indictment, after it took place. 

.2

019 F !CE 

Mr. George Pedersen, 

BURNABY, British Columbia. 

OTTAWA, March 7, 1980. 

Professor Kazepicles is free to defend his case in 

the court. If he deems it proper, he even can go as far as 

challeng 

.

the constitutionality 

of those laws under which 

he is being brought to trial. 

In view of the foregoing, i.e. the inadmissibility 

for any democratic government in the world to interfere with 

the judiciary, you will agree, I hope, that there is nothing 

that the executive can do except to assure you that in Greece, 

everyone's democratic rights are scrupulously respected as our 

judiciary is independent and our courts have a long tradition 

of high standards and fairness. 

Please be assured, Mr. president, of my high esteem. 

Yours sincerely, 

D. C. VeliSsarOPOUl0s, 

Ambassador of Greece. 