Russian Monk Found Guilty of Illegal Residence in Greece
A Russian monk has been arrested and prosecuted for living in Greece without a permit for the past three years.
He was allegedly residing at the Aghios Panteleimonas Monastery, also known as the Russian Monastery, in the all-male monastic community of Mt Athos in northern Greece.
The monk was arrested at the Thessaloniki International Airport while attempting to travel to Moscow through Istanbul, as he lacked the required legal documents to reside in Greece.
"I was planning to return to my country in 2022, but could not find a ticket."
According to reports, the monk initially entered Greece in 2022 on a two-month residence permit, which expired. He then visited Mt Athos, where he was issued a three-day permit, but remained there for over three years.
Author's summary: Russian monk arrested for illegal residence.