Russian monk sentenced for residing illegally in Greece

Agios Panteleimonas monastery.

A Russian monk has been sentenced to two years successful situation and fined €5,000 under Greece’s caller migration instrumentality aft being recovered blameworthy of surviving successful the state illegally for three years.

The condemnation will not beryllium enforced, however, arsenic the monk has agreed to voluntarily permission Greece.

He was arrested astatine Thessaloniki Airport while attempting to travel to Moscow via Istanbul, when authorities discovered helium lacked valid residency papers.

Investigations revealed that helium had entered Greece successful aboriginal '22 connected a two-month residence permit. After it expired, helium visited Mount Athos, where helium received a three-day introduction licence but remained successful the all-male monastic assemblage for much than three years, residing astatine the Russian Orthodox monastery of Agios Panteleimonas.

“I was readying to instrumentality to my state successful '22 but couldn’t find a ticket,” the monk told the court. “I was surviving successful the Agios Panteleimonas Monastery. I present want to return.” He added that helium believed helium would lone look a insignificant good for overstaying his visa.