Greek parties urged to stop leaking secrets

Greece’s Foreign Ministry has appealed to opposition parties to stop leaking classified secret documents for petty political self-interest.

According to the Ministry Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias had “with great patience and a sense of responsibility heretofore kept silent on this issue, in order to safeguard national security and the nation’s interests,” and was now put in the unpleasant position of making a public announcement.

“Foreign policy and the country’s national interests supersede any party rivalry and conflicts. It is not, therefore, tolerable for the opposition to violate the penal code that it has itself passed and the National Security Regulations that it adopted in June 2004,” the foreign ministry said.

It notes that article 146 of the penal code envisions prison sentences of up to 10 years for those that illegally allow sensitive documents, plans, news or other information that needs to be kept secret from foreign governments so as to protect the interests of the Greek state and its allies, to come into the possession or knowledge of others.

The reproduction of the whole or part of an ETNA top secret document, the ministry added, was strictly forbidden under article 26 of the National Security Regulations.