(NPR) Old Greek Blasphemy Laws Stir Up Modern Drama

The police were not among [Elder] Loizos’ supporters. They said they received thousands of complaints about his “Elder Pastitsios” Facebook page… [that] criticized Elder Paisios as xenophobic and close-minded. [It also mocked the monk’s name ”” Paisios became Pastitsios, like the Greek pasta dish].

Last September, they arrested him and charged him with blasphemy, which carries up to six months in prison.

Many Greeks saw his case as a theocratic stifling of free speech. It was the first of two blasphemy arrests in recent months.

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