Recommendation 547 (1969)

Situation in Greece

Author(s): Parliamentary Assembly

Origin - Assembly debate on 30 January 1969 (25th and 26th Sittings) (see Doc. 2525, report of the Political Affairs Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 30 January 1969 (26th Sitting).

The Assembly,

1. Deploring the deprivation by the Greek regime of Greek citizens' rights of unfettered free expression, and of free elections to a representative parliament ;

2. Condemning in the strongest terms the refusal of the Greek Government to admit the Assembly's Rapporteur, in whom it expresses full confidence ;

3. Concerned at the lack of any real progress in Greece towards the restoration of constitutional democracy, as called for in its previous resolutions and as promised by the Greek Government ;

4. Recalling its Resolution 361 of 31 January 1968 on the situation in Greece ;

5. Recalling that in its Resolution 385 of 26 September 1968 it decided "to consider, at its session in January 1969, in the light of a new report of its Rapporteur concerning the progress made towards the restoration of democracy in Greece, whether to recommend to the Committee of Ministers to suspend the Greek Government from its right of representation in the Council of Europe, in accordance with Article 8 of the Statute",

6. Declares that the present Greek regime is at present in serious violation of the conditions for membership of the Council of Europe, as set out in Article 3 of the Statute ;

7. Considers that in view of the foregoing the Greek regime ought to draw the necessary conclusions and to consider its position under Article 7 of the Statute by virtue of which any Member of the Council of Europe may withdraw ;

8. Decides not to recognise the credentials of any Greek delegate purporting to represent the Greek parliament until such time as the Assembly is satisfied that freedom of expression is restored and a free and representative parliament is elected in Greece ;

9. Recommends the Committee of Ministers to draw these conclusions to the attention of the Greek Government and further, in the overall best interests of the Greek people, recommends the Committee of Ministers to take such action, within a specified period, as is appropriate, having regard to Articles 3, 7 and 8 of the Statute of the Council of Europe and to the resolutions of the Assembly cited above.