The Greek Consulate in Argyrokastro (Αργυρόκαστρον, Albanian: Gjirokastër) in Northern Epirus, southern Albania, has been targeted by Albanian journalist Marin Mema. Mema claims the Constulate's services include "Hellenising" a large number of Albanians.
In a recent show on Top Channel, Mema released a video of a hidden camera inside the Greek Consulate in Argyrokastro, where conversations of an Albanian resident of the area were recorded with employees of the diplomatic service.
"How are Albanian residents forced to declare being Greek in Albania? What is required of them from Omonia? The plan is revealed by the hidden cameras and the threats of the Greek consulate," said the introduction of the provocative show of Top Channel, which characterises the case as a "major scandal."
According to Memas, Ondisea Gremo, an ethnic Albanian, asked the Greek Consulate for an explanation of the reasons why he was recalled to the "expatriate press," arguing that this was because he did not promote Greek propaganda in the southern part of the country that is historically Greek but was gifted to Albania by the Great Powers when Greece liberated it twice - once during the Balkan Wars and the other during World War 2.
Nationalist Facebook page (Djempes e Laberias- "Boys of Laberia") announced that it will hold a protest for the removal of the Greek Consulate in Argyrokastro.
They have called on the Albanian state to remove this Consul from Argyrokastro and replace it with a European consul.
This is not the first time that this journalist has targeted Greece and the Greek national minority in Albania. In December 2018, with a similar report, he presented heroes of Northern Epirus, Thymios Liolis and Spyros Spyromilios, as "extremist" murders who committed atrocities against Albanians. His show at the time had sparked a climate of fanaticism by extremist Albanians attempting to intimidate the Greek minority, invading the village Greek town of Krania (Κρανιά, Albanian: Kranë) in the municipality of Finiki (Φοινίκη, Albanian: Finiq) - near Agioi Saranda (Άγιοι Σαράντα, Albanian: Sarandë) - and destroying a monument erected to the Second Brigadier General Thymios.
Around 125,000 Greeks live in Northern Epirus in southern Albania and are subject to constant abuse, harassment and intimidation from the Albanian state and ultra-nationalists in the country.
In order to also weaken Greek identity in Northern Epirus, Albania recognised a Romanian-Vlahoi minority in 2012 and Romania are attempting to Romanianise a part of the Greek minority, as reported by Greek City Times.
