6 05 2010
From Liberación Total:
April 30, 2010
Nikos Maziotis
Responding to the question “Do you accept or deny the charges?”:
“I am a revolutionary, and I am fighting an unjust, criminal regime known as the state and capitalism. If anyone should make a plea in defense, it is not me but those who are accusing me: the police and judges who serve the rich. I, for my part, am in the right, and I will not apologize for myself.”
Panagiota “Pola” Roupa
Responding to the same question:
“I am a revolutionary, and I do not recognize your proceedings. The criminals and terrorists are you and the system you serve: the state and capitalism.”
Sarandos Nikitopoulos
“I am being singled out for my political activity. I have been politically active in the anarchist and antiauthoritarian milieu ever since I was very little, and I can assure you that I as well as hundreds of others before me were already in the authorities’ sights, and that will continue. I consider the criminal prosecution against me to be based on and a product of my own political activity, as well as that of the entire anarchist milieu. Cases like Thessaloniki—in which even video recordings show police planting bags containing “illegal” items near people in order to charge them—or the imprisonment of demonstrator Mario Z. in Athens, and many others, must put an end to this blind faith in police accusations.”
Kostas Gournas
The prosecutor: “What do you say in your defense? Do you accept or deny the charges?”
Kostas: “I am not going to answer. I do not recognize these proceedings. Since the age of 20, I have been a worker and have taken part in the social and class struggle in Greece. I am against the regime, the political system, and the economic system. I am not a terrorist. The terrorists are the ones on the 12th floor of police headquarters who gave me a beating and threatened to kill my children.”
Vaggelis Stathopoulos
“Mixing me up in the Revolutionary Struggle case is a consequence of my political convictions. I do not condemn any type or method of struggle. My political activity has always taken place in broad daylight.”
Christoforos Kortesis
Through his lawyers, he said that he will testify alone under certain specific conditions. He demanded in writing that “they have to clearly specify the charge common to all six of us that refers to my involvement in specific actions claimed by Revolutionary Struggle.” He also demanded an itemization of the evidence for each action.
_____
Our comrades were quickly transferred to different prisons: Kostas Gournas and Vaggelis Stathopoulos to Trikala, Christoforos Kortesis to Corinth, Panagiota “Pola” Roupa to Eleona womens’ prison near Thebes (let’s remember that our comrade is seven months pregnant), and Nikos Maziotis and Sarandos Nikitopoulos to Korydallos prison in Athens. On Sunday, April 25, simultaneous solidarity demonstrations and marches took place outside Trikala, Corinth, and Eleona prisons (where, apart from Pola, Konstantina Karakatsani is also locked up after her arrest in the Fire Cells Conspiracy case).
On April 29, three of the charged comrades (Maziotis, Roupa, and Gournas) published a statement in which they proudly claim their participation in the actions of Revolutionary Struggle (Epanastatikos Agonas) and recognize that comrade Lambros Foundas, who was murdered by police bullets over a month ago, was part of the group. The letter is very long (11 pages; excerpts here), and a translation will be attempted in the coming days.
_____
Revolutionary Struggle are thought to be responsible for the following attacks, all in Athens:
September 5, 2003: Bombing at courthouse.
March 14, 2004: Bombing at Citibank subsidiary in Psychico neighborhood.
May 5, 2004: Bombing at police station in Perissos neighborhood.
October 29, 2004: Bombing of police buses.
June 2, 2005: Bombing at Labor Ministry.
December 12, 2005: Bombing at Finance Ministry in Syntagma Square, near Parliament.
May 30, 2006: Attempted assassination of Georgios Voulgarakis, former Minister of Public Order, now Minister of Culture.
January 12, 2007: Wasp 58 LAW rocket attack on United States Embassy.
April 30, 2007: Shots fired at police station in Nea Ionia neighborhood.
October 24, 2008: Bombing at Shell offices in Palaio Faliro neighborhood.
December 23, 2008: Shots fired at riot police bus near Athens University in Goudi neighborhood.
January 5, 2009: Shots fired at police guarding Culture Ministry in Exarcheia neighborhood. One riot cop critically wounded.
February 18, 2009: Car bombing at Citibank headquarters in Kifissia neighborhood. Bomb fails to detonate.
March 9, 2009: Bombing at Citibank subsidiary in Nea Ionia neighborhood.
May 12, 2009: Bombing at Eurobank subsidiary in Argyroupoli neighborhood.
September 2, 2009: Car bombing causes serious damage to Stock Exchange building.
Showing posts with label Christoforos Kortesis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christoforos Kortesis. Show all posts
Saturday, 10 July 2010
Solidarity gatherings for the six anarchist prisoner comrades
April 26, 2010 - Comrades gather outside Korinthos, Trikala, and Thiva prisons where some of the 6 anarchists accused of the "Revolutionary Struggle" case are held.
In Korinthos prisons where Christoforos Kortesis is held, there were about 150 comrades. There were many cops, and they had closed all the roads with riot cop vans so there was no view of the prison and so no one could get close. At some point one van left and the people could see the prison yard. The comrades are chanting, throwing leaflets and a loudspeaker has been set up.
In Trikala, where Kostas Gournas and Vaggelis Stathopoulos are held, 100 comrades gathered and chanted while throwing leaflets, not a big police presence and after the gathering, there was a solidarity demo in the city of Trikala. In Thiva, where Panagiota Roupa, who is 8 months pregnant, is held (along with Kostantina Karakatsani now since friday, accused of the "conspiracy cells of fire"case), 150 comrades gathered.
The cops shut the road from far away so noone could hear them inside the prison. The people then cut through some fields and came up right next to one wing of the prison, they chanted and the prisoners responded with chants from inside. After a while, some riot cops showed up in the inside of the prison yard, where the people chanted and made fun of them. All demonstrations were very strong and emotional and finished with no trouble.
THE PASSION FOR FREEDOM IS STRONGER THAN THEIR PRISONS
FREEDOM TO THE 6 COMRADES ACCUSED FOR THE "REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE"
In Korinthos prisons where Christoforos Kortesis is held, there were about 150 comrades. There were many cops, and they had closed all the roads with riot cop vans so there was no view of the prison and so no one could get close. At some point one van left and the people could see the prison yard. The comrades are chanting, throwing leaflets and a loudspeaker has been set up.
In Trikala, where Kostas Gournas and Vaggelis Stathopoulos are held, 100 comrades gathered and chanted while throwing leaflets, not a big police presence and after the gathering, there was a solidarity demo in the city of Trikala. In Thiva, where Panagiota Roupa, who is 8 months pregnant, is held (along with Kostantina Karakatsani now since friday, accused of the "conspiracy cells of fire"case), 150 comrades gathered.
The cops shut the road from far away so noone could hear them inside the prison. The people then cut through some fields and came up right next to one wing of the prison, they chanted and the prisoners responded with chants from inside. After a while, some riot cops showed up in the inside of the prison yard, where the people chanted and made fun of them. All demonstrations were very strong and emotional and finished with no trouble.
THE PASSION FOR FREEDOM IS STRONGER THAN THEIR PRISONS
FREEDOM TO THE 6 COMRADES ACCUSED FOR THE "REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE"
A letter from Christoforos Kortesis
30/4 The letter that follows was written in the prison of Corinth by Christoforos Kortesis (one of the 6 arrested anarchists on the "Revolutionary Struggle" case):
On 10th April, 6 people were arrested and taken to the Police Headquaters (GADA). I was one of them. We didn’t know why we were detained, and when we insisted to contact lawyers the cops told us that we couldn’t, because this was a case of adduction. After 56 hours – during which we were not even allowed to contact each other – we were taken to the courts on Evelpidon St. facing the charge of participation in the "Revolutionary Struggle". The timing of my arrest coincided with the prime minister’s announcement (Papandreou) that Greece will possibly take a loan from the IMF. There is obviously no room left for coincidences here, as is also the case with the police raid in the alleged "Halandri safehouse" and the arrests, by the former ruling party Nea Dimokratia, of comrades only a few days before the elections of 2009. Following our arrest, we were hardly surprised to see that instantly the leading role in misinformation was taken on by the usual tele-nosy parkers - among all the scum. They presented evidence that was not even written in the legal brief, and started to piece together a puzzle which went as far as… attacking the Twin Towers!!! Soon afterwards, our guilt was taken for granted in the media that started competing who will be the one to give out more information on our personal lives; who will be the first to take photos of the apartment-safehouse and tell what motorcycles we prefer, what time we go to bed, what time and how many times we make love and things of this sort: nothing more than offerings on the altar of spectacle. However, none of this comes as a surprise to me. I am well aware that mass media in our ‘democratic’ society play exactly the same role as the ministries of propaganda used to play under totalitarianism. People in Greece will inevitably realize that nothing has changed in their everyday life, even after those blood thirsty terrorists got arrested. If before capitalists were offering the remains of their affluent buffets to the people, at this point they will stop doing even that. But in those times of acute economic crisis and social despair, people can end up doing things that before we could not even imagine. The massive rebellion that spread all over Greece after the murder of Alexis Grigoropoulos, two years ago, was just a hint – offering hope for some and despair to others… Repression now will be harsher than ever aiming primarily at breaking the most radical part of society, its greatest internal enemy, the anarchist anti-authoritarian movement. That is why, at the same time as unemployment in general exceeds 15%, Chrisochoidis intends to employ even more people to join the security forces so as to ‘combat’ the growing menace of terrorism, while the only goal is to enforce the defensive lines of the state establishment. But it is exactly at this time of crisis that we are presented with unique possibilities and diverse social groups can be radicalized. It is exactly at this time of crisis that tones of explosives are accumulated at the foundations of the capitalist establishment and the only thing missing, comrades, is to put fire on them! On the other hand, I am not going to talk at all about the accusations laid upon us, since innocence and guilt give and go depending on the side that we have chosen to take in life. If the cops, the journalists, the politicians, the bankers, or the judges consider someone as guilty in the name of bourgeois democracy, then, all of them are guilty in the name of public justice. In the same sense, I am not going to talk at all about the conditions of detention throughout those first days at GADA. As an anarchist, I consider myself and my comrades prisoners of war. This war, which Chrisochoidis became able to see only some months ago, has been actually conducted with rage during centuries between any kind of masters and the masses of revolted. Everyone has already chosen sides and when some realize that they are at the wrong side of the camp, then, it will be too late… Patience and determination for all those who chose to march through the troubled path of history towards social revolution… Honour forever to the anarchist Lambros Fountas Farewell, comrade
On 10th April, 6 people were arrested and taken to the Police Headquaters (GADA). I was one of them. We didn’t know why we were detained, and when we insisted to contact lawyers the cops told us that we couldn’t, because this was a case of adduction. After 56 hours – during which we were not even allowed to contact each other – we were taken to the courts on Evelpidon St. facing the charge of participation in the "Revolutionary Struggle". The timing of my arrest coincided with the prime minister’s announcement (Papandreou) that Greece will possibly take a loan from the IMF. There is obviously no room left for coincidences here, as is also the case with the police raid in the alleged "Halandri safehouse" and the arrests, by the former ruling party Nea Dimokratia, of comrades only a few days before the elections of 2009. Following our arrest, we were hardly surprised to see that instantly the leading role in misinformation was taken on by the usual tele-nosy parkers - among all the scum. They presented evidence that was not even written in the legal brief, and started to piece together a puzzle which went as far as… attacking the Twin Towers!!! Soon afterwards, our guilt was taken for granted in the media that started competing who will be the one to give out more information on our personal lives; who will be the first to take photos of the apartment-safehouse and tell what motorcycles we prefer, what time we go to bed, what time and how many times we make love and things of this sort: nothing more than offerings on the altar of spectacle. However, none of this comes as a surprise to me. I am well aware that mass media in our ‘democratic’ society play exactly the same role as the ministries of propaganda used to play under totalitarianism. People in Greece will inevitably realize that nothing has changed in their everyday life, even after those blood thirsty terrorists got arrested. If before capitalists were offering the remains of their affluent buffets to the people, at this point they will stop doing even that. But in those times of acute economic crisis and social despair, people can end up doing things that before we could not even imagine. The massive rebellion that spread all over Greece after the murder of Alexis Grigoropoulos, two years ago, was just a hint – offering hope for some and despair to others… Repression now will be harsher than ever aiming primarily at breaking the most radical part of society, its greatest internal enemy, the anarchist anti-authoritarian movement. That is why, at the same time as unemployment in general exceeds 15%, Chrisochoidis intends to employ even more people to join the security forces so as to ‘combat’ the growing menace of terrorism, while the only goal is to enforce the defensive lines of the state establishment. But it is exactly at this time of crisis that we are presented with unique possibilities and diverse social groups can be radicalized. It is exactly at this time of crisis that tones of explosives are accumulated at the foundations of the capitalist establishment and the only thing missing, comrades, is to put fire on them! On the other hand, I am not going to talk at all about the accusations laid upon us, since innocence and guilt give and go depending on the side that we have chosen to take in life. If the cops, the journalists, the politicians, the bankers, or the judges consider someone as guilty in the name of bourgeois democracy, then, all of them are guilty in the name of public justice. In the same sense, I am not going to talk at all about the conditions of detention throughout those first days at GADA. As an anarchist, I consider myself and my comrades prisoners of war. This war, which Chrisochoidis became able to see only some months ago, has been actually conducted with rage during centuries between any kind of masters and the masses of revolted. Everyone has already chosen sides and when some realize that they are at the wrong side of the camp, then, it will be too late… Patience and determination for all those who chose to march through the troubled path of history towards social revolution… Honour forever to the anarchist Lambros Fountas Farewell, comrade
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