Greece: 2nd International day of solidarity with the hunger strike of Dimitris Koufondinas

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Received 04/03/2021 from malacoda.noblogs.org

Second international day of solidarity with the hunger strike of Dimitris Koufondinas (Greece, March 6, 2021)

Saturday, March 6, 2021: 2nd International day of solidarity with the hunger strike of Dimitris Koufondinas

At the end of last December the Greek government approved a reform of the national penitentiary system that, in addition to  other measures that worsen prison conditions, establishes that those convicted of terrorism cannot access the “rural prisons”, more “open” institutions to which long-term prisoners have access. The approval of this law has immediately activated the bureaucratic process for the transfer of Dimitris Koufondinas from the rural prison of Kassevitia. Dimitris is a comrade convicted for participation in the revolutionary organization 17 November, in prison since 2002.

The new package of laws stipulates that inmates in rural prisons are reclassified and then transferred to the last prison they were in. In Dimitri’s case it should have been the Athenian prison of Korydallos. However, the prison administration decided to transfer him, manipulating the transfer papers, to Domokos prison. Although there are no differentiated circuits in Greece, the intention of the prison administration in recent years has been to make this prison a “hard” prison.

Such a punitive transfer is purposed to hit a comrade who has always struggled: as a free man, in courtrooms, in prison. Since his seizure he has participated in numerous protests and has undertaken four hunger strikes.This repressive manoeuvre not only is aimed at annihilating Dimitris Koufondinas but also is part of the overall Greek state repressive project: crushing the most radical and combative parts of society to avoid the hypothesis of future and general conflicts.

Faced with the transfer, Dimitris Koufondinas decided to strive once again, putting his own body out as last resort weapon. Since 8 January he has started a hunger strike which will continue indefinitely until he is transferred to the Korydallos prison. As strike days are passing by, the comrade is in a critical and precarious conditions in the Lamia hospital: according to the doctors he could collapse at any moment.

During the strike there were many initiatives and solidarity actions throughout Greece and beyond: protests, demos, walls writings, banners, attacks against multiple objectives (politicians, banks, post offices, etc.). But time is running out and now we think we should make an extra effort.

Dimitri’s struggle is also the struggle of each of us. As we consider crucial creating and expanding international ties, even more nowadays, we are calling for a 2nd INTERNATIONAL day of solidarity and action on SATURDAY 6 MARCH to support Dimitris Koufondinas.

Solidarity Assembly with Dimitri Koufondinas
Athens, March 4, 2021

[Taken from actforfree.nostate.net].