The 2 comrades were arrested on 27/5/20, at Thessaloniki, Greece. They are accused of attempting an explosion, possession of explosives, violence against employees, disobedience and criminal conspiracy according to a made-up indictment. At 1/6 they were released on the following terms:
- To give presence 3 times a month at a police station,
- Prohibition of leaving the country and
- to pay a guarantee-bail of € 10,000 for each one (a total of € 20,000) by 15/06.
In order to ensure that the required amount is covered, so that the comrades are not remanded in custody, we use every means available for financial support. Thus we created this firefund campaign.
Solidarity is our weapon against state’s repressive tactics.
The announcements of the 2 persecuted comrades:
In the early hours of Wednesday 27/5, I am being persecuted and arrested by undercover cops (wearing civilian clothes) and OPKE (special police forces for crime prevention and suppression), in the area of Kalamaria, Thessaloniki. I was thrown on the road and the cops handcuffed me. For a long period, more than ten cops were beating me up with kicks and punches. Only when some neighbors from the adjacent apartment buildings came out, they were ordered to stop and called an undercover car to transfer me to the general police department. At first, they took me to the first floor and then to the third. They kept transferring me to different rooms-offices -amid constant humiliations, intimidations, and beatings. I ended up in the office of the head chief of the operation, who initially didn’t deal with me, focusing his interest on his colleagues, by giving his congratulations on the success of the operation.
After that, the well-known game began. He became the good cop who just wanted to help. He gave me “advice”, encouraged me to speak, and admit the actions that they were attributed to me and to cooperate in order to facilitate my position. He also played the card of the “squealer comrade” who had turned me in exchange for some money.
I remained silent to their questions, as I had to and I didn’t give any information beyond those which were written on my identity, which I had anyway. Until 9 a.m. neither the arrest nor the indictment had been announced to me, expect that they will conduct a home search in a house I had never declared, but which according to the file they had already opened for quite some time, I lived in Tsinari in a block of house-squats.
When we got to the houses – the only clue of where I lived in was a piece of anonymous information- they invaded the squats, one after the other. OPKE units, accompanied by undercover cops, broke down doors and windows, woke up my comrades, and demanded that they facilitate their “work”. The comrades showed quick reflexes and from the first moment they stood next to me with a word, a touch, by just saying “strength”. It’s worth noting that during my transfer from one house to another, they had me wear a black hood so that on the one hand I could not be recognized by other comrades who had gathered outside the squats and on the other hand I could not have eye contact with the comrades who lived there. I guess the rest is already known-their wanton adduction to the general police department for a few hours.
Then, returning to the general police department, in the same offices as before, I saw comrade Ρ.Ζ. who had been arrested and brought in a few hours after me. They left us in the same place for a few seconds and then they separated us again while giving us the case file asking us to sign it. We both denied any signature on the forged indictment as well as the process of fingerprint checks and photographs (a process that many times in the past has led anarchists to trial-parodies resting on clues of DNA mixtures and fingerprints).
Twelve hours after my arrest and after several “yellings”, they allowed me to contact my lawyer and they placed the handcuffs in the front. When we were taken to the detention cell, according to “orders from above”, they did not allow us to be in the same cell and to be in touch within the first 24 hours. On the second day of my detention, when I was taken to a medical examiner to record the injuries, the doctor who was supposed to be acting impartially, all he had to say to the escorts-cops was that “these things happen in a pursuit” and that “he can’t be sure what caused the injuries”.
On 27/05, at 8 a.m., I was arrested right at the entrance of my apartment building. Three undercover cops rushed from different directions, leaving me no time and space to react, and immobilized me.
While I was standing still on the ground, they handcuffed me, and pressed my head with their knees, and confiscate my house keys. Only when my screams incited the passers-by and the inhabitants they stopped pressing me with their knees and asked me to stop. In return, they promised not to touch me. They are probably ashamed of their practices. And they should actually. Then they took me to the general police department of Thessaloniki, in a room in the basement, where I was completely alone. After about half an hour, they picked me up again and announced to me that we were going for home research. In the presence of a prosecutor, they broke into my house, after tragic situations, as they were not sure about the floor or the apartment, they disturbed the neighbors and created tension. From inside the house, they confiscate all the electronic devices as well as a computer that I use exclusively for my work. From my personal belongings, they confiscate also my handwritten notes, unrelated to the case, as well as personal documents, and documents that happened to be in my house, such as family files that do not belong to me. Then we returned to the general police department with the confiscated items. So far I had no idea what had happened or if there were other arrests. I had no contact with lawyers nor allowed to talk to any of my people. They took me up the corridor and there I saw my comrade Δ.Σ. who was beaten and tied up. They immediately separated us so that we had no contact and led me to an empty room, handcuffed, guarded by a jailer.
After hours and after I was still tied up, I started protesting loudly.
In response, I got threats by the cops and then, after their vain attempts failed, they sent an undercover cop to “reassure” me. This episode demonstrated the essence of the claim. Defeat and vanity offer space to the enemy.
The procedures after the incident went smoothly. Two undercover cops came and showed me the case file and I refused to sign anything without the presence of a lawyer, except my rights. After that, they started the marking procedure. We both refused it.
Late in the afternoon, they took us to the detention cells, handcuffed us, and placed us together in a cell. After half an hour, the guards separated us again telling that “they had orders from above”.
The next day we went to the prosecutor and the interrogator. We were informed about the indications and asked if we had anything to say. We both asked for a deadline. Footnote: Throughout the arrest and subsequent proceedings, the undercover cops had hidden their faces and features carefully.
All of the above are not reported so that we will victimize ourselves.
It’s just a recording that can be taken into consideration for future repressive actions. Because the only purpose of the state is to repress.
What every comrade needs to do is not be afraid, not be intimidated by being targeted, and keep fighting. We don’t have anything to say about the case at the moment other than that we deny the false accusation.
For the fact that we are being targeted because of our anarchist identity, we have to say that despite the repressive mechanisms, the apathy of society and its stupefaction, we will continue to fight for a world free of bonds and guards, without laws and prohibitions, without oppression and exploitation, without humiliation and indignity.
We will continue to fight for a world of equality, solidarity, and freedom.
For a world without dominion.
For anarchy.
Solidarity will win!
