Greek government faces international criticism for jail threat to cleric

International News Desk 24/12/2011 The Greek courts have ruled that a respected Orthodox Christian monk will be imprisoned over Christmas over a land dispute in northern Greece. Abbot Ephraim who leads the largest monastic order in the Orthodox Christian world, has strong links to the royal family in the United Kingdom, among others, and his supporters have threatened the Greek government with widespread protests to release the Abbot. Speaking to the London Daily News Bishop Athanasius of Limassol in Cyprus said: “The abbot has not been imprisoned yet and is now on his way to Athens, we hope the Greek legal system considers the implications of imprisoning Abbot Ephraim at Christmas”.