27.8.09

Theodore Iliopoulos - the tragedy continues

Continuing on previous story

Our suspicion that the Greek State is trying to take its revenge for the Athens Riots back in December 2008, in the face of Theodore Iliopoulos is now a certainty.

We remind you that Theodore was arrested 2 days after the events whilst standing in front of the Athens Law School. TV crews reporting on the events testified that he was simply an observer and that riot police launched an attack on the students and arrested more than a dozen with no apparent reason. The only testimony against Theodore is that given by two riot police officers; a testimony that was given in a copy/paste fashion for all the arrested students.

Theodore is the only one left in prison, possibly because he has no financial or other means to fight for his release ahead of his trial. In July he used the only weapon left, his own body, and he went on a hunger strike. In one month his body weight had reached a critical low (45kilos) but the state denied him the necessary medical attention, as prescribed by his doctors.
Last week he was finally taken to hospital only to be released again, and taken back to his prison cell on the same day. NO DOCTOR SIGNED HIS RELEASE PAPERS.

A group of medical examiners and lawyers discovered this and forced his re-admittance to Sotiria Hospital.

Today, the Attorney General was negative on Theodore's release for the third time, despite the pleas from political parties, civil rights NGOs, the Head of the second biggest Lawyers' Union and others who insist on the lack of grounds for the continuation of Theodore's detention AHEAD OF TRIAL!!!
He was arrested on December and charged with offences relating to damages made on a storefront (and possibly theft). All this is happening in a country that releases murderers (Lagoudakis case - who was released only to kill again within weeks) if they happen to know the "right people, in the right chair".

If this is justice and not revenge (fuelled by the heavy criticism the police took last December) we fear that the consequences will be dire and out of control AGAIN. This extreme right wing government does not seem to understand what it is fuelling with such behaviour in a country that was recently burned (in every way) by incompetence, corruption and neglect. The killing of another bystander, Grigoropoulos, by a policeman last December, that started the Athens Riots the myriad of government corruption cases and the general feel of a not-so-blind Justice system has brought the greek youth to the streets.

We ask for international attention on the matter, as we feel that the greek judicial system is leaving a lot to be desired in a society that is steaming with rage.

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