Greek lawmaker attacks paintings he said were offensive to Christians
A far-right Greek lawmaker attacked four paintings in an exhibition at the country's National Gallery on Monday, the gallery said, after he had described one as offensive because of its distorted depictions of Christ and the Virgin Mary.
The lawmaker, named by the gallery as Nikolaos Papadopoulos, from the ultra-religious Niki party, was temporarily detained, and the gallery said it had had to close for the day due to the incident.
The gallery said that with assistance from another person he had violently taken down four paintings included in the exhibition inspired by Spanish master Francisco de Goya.
"The above violently detached them from the wall and threw them on the floor, which resulted in their damage," the gallery said in a statement.
Papadopoulos' lawyer Constantinos Vathiotis told Reuters that he was illegally detained for five hours. Lawmakers are protected from arrest under the constitution and only parliament can lift their immunity.
The exhibition, "The allure of the bizarre," is by a group of Greek artists, with works corresponding with 80 etchings from Goya's late 18th century Los Caprichos series. It has been on display in Athens since January at the country's main gallery, which is a major draw for Greeks and tourists alike.
In a question to the culture ministry submitted to parliament in January, the lawmaker said that one painting, among the group of four he is accused of damaging, was "clearly offending the Orthodox Christian faith, directly insulting the holy faces of Virgin Mary and Christ, which are depicted distorted."
The culture ministry responded at the time that it "never engages in censorship."
The Hellenic League for Human Rights condemned the lawmaker's action, saying "freedom of art and freedom of expression are protected by the constitution and are not subject to the personal taste and religious and ideological beliefs of self-appointed judges and ultimately punishers."
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Voice of America
14-03-2025
- Voice of America
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Voice of America
13-03-2025
- Voice of America
Deadly Russian aerial attacks hit Ukraine's Kherson region
Russian aerial attacks overnight killed at least two people in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, officials said Thursday. Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram his region came under attack by Russian drones and shelling, and that one other person was injured. In the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region, Governor Serhiy Lysak said at least three people were hospitalized after a Russian attack hit the city of Dnipro. Lysak said on Telegram the attack damaged multiple apartment buildings, including blowing out windows. Officials in the Sumy region reported Thursday that Russian drones fell on a set of garages, setting about 20 of them on fire. Ukraine's military said Thursday it shot down 74 of the 117 drones that Russian forces launched overnight. The intercepts took place over the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, Vinnytsia and Zaporizhzhia regions, the military said. Russia's Defense Ministry said it shot down 77 Ukrainian drones, most of them in regions located along the Russia-Ukraine border. Vladislav Shapsha, governor of the Kaluga region, said the attacks injured one person and damaged an industrial building, a communication tower and a power line. The Russia military said it destroyed 30 of the drones over Bryansk, while officials in the region reported no damage or casualties. Russian air defense also shot down drones over Kursk, Voronezh, Rostov and Belgorod, the military said. The daily aerial attacks continue amid a U.S. push to secure a ceasefire in the conflict. The U.S. has proposed a 30-day halt in fighting, which Ukraine has said it would accept. U.S. officials are expected to discuss the plan with Russian officials in the coming days. Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Voice of America
13-03-2025
- Voice of America
Judge extends ban on Columbia student's deportation from US
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