A Russian national was arrested at “Macedonia” Airport in Thessaloniki after it was discovered that he had been residing illegally in Greece and living as a monk in a monastery on Mount Athos.
According to protothema.gr, the man, a cleric by profession, was detained during a travel document inspection as he attempted to fly from Thessaloniki to Istanbul, with Moscow as his final destination.
Authorities found that the monk had entered Greece on January 15, 2022, and was required to leave the country by February 28 of the same year, which he failed to do. In March 2022, he visited Mount Athos on a three-day permit (March 1–3, valid until March 4, 2022), but remained there for nearly three years.
He was arrested on Wednesday morning and brought before the Single-Member Misdemeanor Court of Thessaloniki under the summary procedure. The court found him guilty and imposed a two-year prison sentence and a €5,000 fine, without suspension, according to protothema.gr.
Under the new legal provisions, the defendant was asked whether he preferred to serve his sentence or leave the country. He chose to return to his homeland, which, in fact, was already his intended destination when he was arrested at the airport.
In his testimony, he stated that since March 1, 2022, he had been living at the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon on Mount Athos and now wished to return home to his daughter.
Regarding the charge, he admitted his actions, explaining: “I intended to return in 2022, but I couldn’t find a ticket, so I decided to stay on Mount Athos. I thought that when I finally left, I would just pay a fine and there would be no other consequences. I didn’t know it was a crime.”
It is worth noting that the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon, also known as the “Russian Monastery” on Mount Athos, has for centuries hosted Russian monks. In 2016, it was also visited by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
