ATTORNEYS VARTKES YEGHIAYAN AND RITA MAHDESSIAN HONOURED IN GREECE

Gibrahayer
28/09/09

Attorneys Vartkes Yeghiayan and Rita Mahdessian were recently honoured
in Athens, Greece, for their efforts in repatriating the legal
rights of the Eastern Greeks. In 2008, Attorney Yeghiayan facilitated
the setting up of a voluntary settlement program with New York Life
Insurance Company for heirs of Greeks who had purchased life insurance
policies in the Ottoman Empire prior to 1915. The total value of the
voluntary program was $15 million.

In a magnificent setting at Dora Stratou Amphitheatre at the
Acropolis, the Federation of Refugee Associations of Greece, the
Pan-Pontian Federation of Greece, the Ecumenical Federation of
Constantinopolitans and the Pan-Hellenic Federation of Thracian
Associations, jointly honoured the lawyers with a rich cultural
program including performances by nine Greek traditional folkloric
dance ensembles. The event, which took place on September 14, 2009,
was attended by some two thousand people, including former Greek Prime
Minister Yiannis Grivas, who presented the awards, representatives
from the Mayor’s Office, the press and the political parties.

The ceremony was preceded by a one day International Conference on
September 12, 2009, at the Auditorium of Athens Parnassos Literary
Society, on the occasion of the 54th Anniversary of Septemvriana
(Istanbul prior to 1955 – The Restitution of M inorities as
a prerequisite for Respect of Human Rights in Turkey). The topics
covered the Mechanisms of confiscation of properties and persecution
during the Second World War.

Many notables spoke. Among them, Assistant Professor Iakovos Aktsglov,
Assistant Professor Ioannis Ktistaskis, Representatives of Swedish
and European Parliaments, four scholars from Turkey, and Attorney
Vartkes Yeghiayan.