.1
Dr. K. George Pedersen, President
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, British Columbia
V5A 1S6
;(/(J
e
/0
00
f
FI[
,
I
iL!",
'F
MAR 27 1980
/
1
S29
. ?
'trrct?uV
of 2 5
ffitr for Etcrnn!Jfatr
?
ccrtatrt
?
tat ait
?
ffzurr ?
trrieures
(!Tmnn
Ottawa, K1A 0G2
March
25,
1980
Dear Dr. Pedersen:
A
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
S
• ?
'te
MML
OTTAWA, March 7, 1980.
TO SENATE
581.1/732
?
Ift
ibi
?
EMBASSY OF GREECE
MAR2 • 1930
?
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
MAR
121980
019 F !CE
C
.
S
Mr. George Pedersen,
SIMON FR?SER UNIVERSITY,
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
.
Lng
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,
1,r
?
71?rI"
-2
D. C. VeliSsarOPOUl0s,
Ambassador of Greece.
0
In