Stavros Kontonis

The monks of Mount Athos in northern Greece have urged the left-led government to withdraw draft legislation that would allow free determination of gender identity irrespective of how it was recorded at birth.

The centre of monasticism in the Eastern Orthodox Christian world, Mount Athos has weighed in on the controversial sex change bill scheduled to be discussed in a plenary session in the Greek parliament, unequivocally condemning it.

Around 18 members of the Rouvikonas anti-establishment group entered the Justice Ministry building in Athens on Wednesday, distributing fliers calling for furloughs for "political prisoners" and the abolition of an article in the counterterrorism law. 

Agricultural Development Minister Vangelis Apostolou has pledged the swift disbursement of funds to farmers who suffered damage in last month's wildfires on the Ionian island of Zakynthos, local media reported Friday.

Estonian Justice Minister Urmas Reinsalu has dismissed in no uncertain terms the claim made by his Greek counterpart, Stavros Kontonis, that communism had "positive aspects."

Citing Estonia's experience of the Soviet Union, Reinsalu said he strongly disagreed with the assertion.

Greece must defend Cyprus, its sovereignty and the liberation of its territories, President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos said on Thursday, during a dinner held at the Monastery of Aghios Dionysios on the island of Zakynthos, which was also attended by the Archbishop of Cyprus.

President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis on Thursday surveyed damage wreaked on Zakynthos forestland by a spate of fires earlier this month that have been attributed to arson during a helicopter ride over the Ionian island.

Kontonis said he and Pavlopoulos surveyed the extent of the "criminal activities of previous days."

A decision by Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis to turn down an invitation to participate in an international conference on crimes committed by communist regimes being organized by the European Union's Estonian presidency in Tallinn on Wednesday intensified tensions between the leftist-led coalition and the conservative opposition on Monday.

Despite the backlash caused by the refusal of the Greek government to take part in a conference on August 23 in Estonia focusing on crimes committed by communist regimes in the 21st Century titled “The Heritage in 21st Century Europe of the Crimes Committed by Communist Regimes”, leftist SYRIZA party doubled down on the decision praising Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis for his stance.

With devastating fires razing swaths of the country since last week, the government appeared to be in disarray on Monday as it scrambled to downplay comments by Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis and other senior officials who said the blazes were the result of an organized plan.