Monks face ‘parody trial’ in monastery scandal, lawyers say

A church “parody trial” will begin for monks involved in the Osiou Avakoum monastery scandal, their lawyer Efstathios Efstathiou said on Thursday, with proceedings due to begin on Friday.

Efstathiou told national broadcaster CyBC that the church trial will begin in front of a six-member ecclesiastical court, and that the whole process “suffers from violations of the basic legal principles”.

The church is seeking to defrock the monks, Archimandrites Nektarios and Porfyrios, on charges of immoral relationships...