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FYROM’s Ultra-Nationalistic regime detains Vasko Gligorijevic
Updated Feb. 21, 2009
Vasko Gligorijević, a Serb activist, was arrested by Fyrom's authorities acussed of offending "makedonism”. The news were instananeous spread and published in Greek, Serbian and foreigner blogs.
Vasko Gligorijević recently founded the Slavic Phillelenic Network in Skopje, Fyrom, a NGO, which objective is bringing out serious scientific arguments in Fyrom's claims that her people are direct descendants of Ancient Macedonians and Alexander the Great and he has also been a strong criticizer of “Pseudomacedonism”. Vasko Gligorijević is a student of history in the university “Cyrille and Methodios of Skopje. He obtained back his Serbian surname (Gligorijević from Gkligkorov) by rule of court. Vasko’s last message was posted in Facebook saying “I am being arrested tonight. Pray for me all. The police is in my flat, they are searching it.”
Its widely known that exercising one’s right to freedom of expression is an unknown term to FYROM’s regime since the country lives her own "macedonian" myth, and since 1996 by law prohibits any scientific research for the national identity of the country's residents. It´s been 10 days since Vasko Gligorijević was arrested. Fyrom´s newspaper «Nova Makedonija» disclosed that the Serb activist is being drugged in a psychiatric clinic. According to the same publication, Vasko Gligorijević was led to the psychiatric clinic, because he "suffers of schizophrenia". In order to prove his “illness”, they claim that he used two surnames (Gkligkorov and Gligorijević*), hence he has a “split personality”. http://vardaraxios.wordpress.com/
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*The Greek that met Vasilije Gligorijevic in Bardovci*
This my story of the mission to Skopje. I was with the delegation, but I went up to Skopje 1 Day early. Arrived in the hospital, Tuesday, at 6 in the evening. At the door, the taxi driver who drove me to the address, acted as my interpreter. (5 euro can get you far with a taxi). At the door, there was no problem, only the unusual nature of the visit was a bit of a surprise to them. I was shown to the building were Vasili was staying. I arived at the door and rang the bell. A doctor opened the door. He spoke no English. This was the hard part, cause now, having never met Vasili face to face, he would not recognize me. It was the make or brake situation. As he approached, he was asked by the doctor If he knew me. He said that he did not. From AMAC, MOTW..(This are the forums of witch we know each other with call signs). His expression changed. To my relief, he told the doctors that he knew me. We asked to stay private. It seemed that there was no special directive preventing visitors from visiting Vasili. I will list a few things witch are worth mentioning., and do not infringe on his privacy. -He was arrested by the police. -His computer got taken by the police! (raises question marks) -He was tied and drugged for the first few days.. -After informing him of all the developments, of wich he had heard none, I let him know that some of the FYRoM media accused him of being a skitsofrenic. The various names ets. He told me that this was just not the case, that this was not true. In a pang of conspiracy theory, we assumed that this was just sheer table talk 'propaganda', that was suitable for discrediting his political views. As for the reasons he was in there, he spoke of some party. One may have issues witch he does not want the public to know. One has to respect that. -He did not wish any publicity and media on the issue, due to the harmful consequences this would have on him and his family. We tried to contact his family through my phone,(patients were not allowed to use the clinic phone), but were not able to get in touch with them. He wrote me down his parents contact info and address, on a piece of paper, so that I would try again when I got out. -He asked me to express to all of the people who had helped in any way, his gratitude for their interest. (that was actually the FIRST thing he said). At one point, he added: This is surreal.. I left the hospital and went to the hotel, were I tried to get in touch with his family, but unfortunately, was unable to locate and inform them. The next day, Wednesday, I went to the hospital again, before the delegation arrived. This time, things were a bit different... The guard at the entrance, asked for my id, and after making a phone call, the guard told me that I had to go see the director. I was led to the directors office by a guard, and there, in the office, 2 people were waiting for me. Pavlina Vaskova, and a man who did not speak English. They were polite, and the conversation was.. revealing... The man with gray hair, who was the alleged Director sat besides me and Mrs Vaskova sat on the heads desk. She told me first, ''What is your purpose in visiting Vasili?'' I answered that I was his 'friend', and that I had seen him the previous day, and that he was expecting me. (I only know Vasko from from MOTW, but I guess this was a bit difficult to explain...). She replied that there has been an issue, and that it would be impossible to see Vassili today. I told her that I was leaving later in the evening, but she said that seeing him that day was not possible. By that time, knowing I was Greek, she had a reasons for getting paranoid. Paranoid for what? I ask.. She said that a Greek delegation was at the border, coming to see Vasily. Then she stressed out with emphasis: ''For his own good, you must not say to anybody that you saw him yesterday'' She repeated this 3 times during our conversation. I could not help but wonder, why would they want me not to tell them that he was there.. Up to now, they did not know that I knew about the delegation. For them, having shown up again, I had now become a liability. In a final attempt to get through, I claimed that I was leaving thecountry that day, and that I just wanted to say a final goodbye. Their position would not budge. We shook hands with the gray haired man who spoke no English and I left the office. I did not leave the Hospital, I waited outside for the delegation. Soon enough, media vehicles and reporters started gathering. This was getting interesting.. I spoke with some reporters, and they told me they were going to take a statement from the director, and that a Greek delegation was arriving soon. We waited, and after some time, the blue bus arrived. The Greeks were here.. All the reporters were taking pictures, and the media frenzy was evident. Diplomatic situations were about to unfold. The visit, should have maybe been less formal, but there was no reason at all, not to let at least 1 person, with no cameras etc, to get in and speak to him. After all, people have been genuinely worried! Pavlova then came all smiling, and recited her diplomatic lines, saying it was not possible to see him, arguing at first that they had to many patients in the hospital to know if he was in there.. and other avoiding such stuff. After getting nowhere, the game ended in a stale mate, and the 2 sides went back their ways.. Now, that was the day I met Houhoulis!!! Without him, the next moves would not have been possible!! Houhoulis decided to stay behind and not leave with the delegation, back to Thessaloniki, and then Athens. We met this cool Albanian taxi driver, who with money of course, lead the way to all the remaining paces we needed to go. Now, the next day, we tried to locate his family again, but, as we found out, the media (FYROM Media) had already got to them, and they were avoiding phones etc. Unfortunately, an uncomfortable situation for the family was unfolding. We went to the family house, but found nobody. We left a note, giving them our contact details. Next day we decided to go to the hospital for a final attempt to see him one final time... Once again, we were taken to the directors office, were Vaskova was waiting. This time, she was on the attack. She told me that I lied to her, and that Vasko did not want to see anybody and especially me, she said pointing her finger.. Vaskova kept accusing me that I lied to her on various occasions. I accused her for ling to me and the press, by not showing them Vasko, and by asking me to withhold the fact that I had seen Vasili the previous day.. Arguments and accusations came and went, and then Houhoulis suddenly said: 'If Vasily does not want to see him, he said, then he can see me...' Vaskova was now fuming.. She said Ok, and asked for Houhoulis passport. After taking it, she left the room, for about 20 minutes. It was there that I started to worry, that they will be calling the police, and that trouble was on the way. After 20 minutes, Vaskova walked in with a piece of paper. 'Ok', she said, here is a written statement from Vasili: In short, it went something like this: ''Due to the circumstances, I, Vasili Gligorov, refuse to see anybody until I get out.'' I asked to see the paper myself, for I had the paper in witch Vasko had written me the contact details for his family, and I would be able to compare the handwriting. Vaskova refused saying that I would film the paper!! What a load of bullshit. East block ex communist mentality at its petty shade, finally came out clear there. Think about it, instead of letting visitors see a patient, they were now blackmailing us... Think about it. We got up and left. Before heading off towards the border, a final move had to be made: The Red Cross. Initially, we entered another building, thinking it was the Red Cross, but it looked like a public health care department. When we asked were the red cross department was, a man, around his 50's asked us were we were from. When we said Greece, he took us aside and told us, that he knew why we were there, and that we should be careful. After telling us some weird enigmatic stuff, he pointed us to the direction of the Red Cross building. Entering the building, for the first time, I felt I was somewere civilized. The people spoke proper English, looked educated, and they showed genuine interest in what we had to report. The only Europe I probably ever saw in FYROM! (Besides the Pizza and Wine restaurant) That done, we decided to leave the country. There was nothing else we could do, except perhaps a good meal. After that we left and headed for the border in heavy snow conditions. Reaching the border of FYROM and Greek Macedonia, the snow stopped. In the Greek Macedonia, the fogy horizon was gone..Having passed the border, literally 3 minutes latter, Houhoulis phone rang, and we were informed that Vasko's family had filled a law suit for my arrest, for disturbing the peace on their privacy... I can not begin to imagine how much harassment they must have got from the media.. In any case, I have no intention in going back in that weird country.. Enough of Alexandrovski and Phillipovsky statues and other comic illusions of the type... All I wanted now, was just to drive down to Thessaloniki, through the plains of Μακεδονία, back to Athens. To drive on a proper road, feeling once again, for the first time after 3 days, free.. +by HELLENICLEAGUE in AMAC forum + +Source: http://modern-macedonian-history.blogspot.com/2009/02/greek-that-met-vasilije-gligorijevic-in.html+What do you think of this story?
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