Fine on Pakistani community members for flouting masks stands

Fines imposed on members of the Pakistani community who gathered at Syntagma Square to celebrate the New Year without wearing masks will not be cancelled, Citizen Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos said on Monday.

The minister was responding to a letter signed by the president of the Cultural Community of Greece-Pakistan, Syed Mohammad Jamil, appealing for a write-off of the fees for several reasons, including the fact the gathering was spontaneous and not organized, they did not know the city of Athens had cancelled all celebrations at Syntagma, and the members of the community left peacefully after being informed of this by police.

“We will not cancel any fines imposed by the Hellenic Police on members of the Pakistani community during New Year’s Eve on Syntagma for not wearing masks. Laws are laws and apply to all, even if the presence of these people was spontaneous,” the minister said on a social media post.