Galery

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Five people from the newly-formed organization solidarity initiative in support of the 300 immigrants who went on a hunger strike ten days ago were called before the Court of Appeal today to give explanations. The five activists who supported the immigrants are called before the court for being suspected of immigrants trafficking.

Currently, the investigation is trying to find whether the immigrants were encouraged to go on a hunger strike, if someone had helped them with the preparation for the trip from Chania to Athens and more specifically to the Law School and why the Dean of the Athens University did not prevent the occupation of the university building. According to initial data, an investigation is going on of whether actions damaging other persons’ property and breaching peace and safety had been done.

At ten o'clock in the morning the five members of the solidarity initiative stated for journalists their position in relation to the charges. It became clear later that the prosecutor had granted the four of them a delay to the next week, and Nikos Giannopoulos did not appear before the court.

PetrosYotis, a member of the organization in support of immigrants, said that yesterday’s night was very difficult for the 237 immigrants and especially for 104 of them who lived in tents in the yard of the building on Patision Avenue, where they had moved after leaving the Law School. He said that 1500 citizens had signed an application for joint responsibility with the suspects.

The defender of the activists accused of trafficking Tasia Hristodoulopoulou said that the charges to the members of the solidarity initiative "will someday be read at the School as an example of avoidance." According to her, the charge of moral offenders of breach of public peace and destruction was out of place as there were no physical perpetrators, and neither of the things happened. As to the charge of trafficking, lawyer Hristodoulopoulou noted that under the law traffickers were people who systematically and against payment transferred immigrants into the country, violating the borders. In this case, the immigrants had been in the country for years. The advocate of the rights of the accused said that the charges were based on recorded TV broadcasts and opinions of politicians.

Nikos Giannopoulos who is one of the called before the court did not appear before the prosecutor. In his statement he said: "I accept the charge of illegal immigrant trafficking with great pride and joy, because it means my immense solidarity with the immigrants who live and work in Greece without documents, forced to be exploited and humiliated. Because it means that I have dedicated my time to the struggle of those who go on hunger strike, to their safe arrival in Athens and Thessaloniki, to the victory of their struggle for legalization and equal rights." According to him, the empty building of the Law School was left much cleaner than it was when they entered it. "The government should explain, because it breaks thousands of families with redundancy, with salaries of 500 euros and the closing of thousands of shops and it forces the new generation to live in conditions worse than these of their parents and uncertain future in terms of job," Giannopoulos said.

"These are people we know well for years. I'll remain moral offender for defending their fight to the end," said one of the five suspects Marcos Hadzisavas from the forum of immigrants from Crete. The young Nikos Marketakis said there was no need to justify fictional traffic and violations. According to him, "The immigrant workers decided to lay down their lives. They were not driven, nor forced. They do not accept orders from anyone." The immigrants’ defender Vassilis Papadopoulos expressed their support to the members of the solidarity initiative by saying that they "have been accused unjustly and without any evidence."

The lawmaker from the left coalition SYRIZA Theodoros Dritsas came to express his support and said that he would testify in defense of the accused if necessary. "We can not separate the problems of immigrants from the problems of other Greek society, the workers," he said. Almost 100 people, including youths from the left party SINASPISMOS had gathered before the Court of Appeal in support of the accused with the slogan "If solidarity is a crime, we are all guilty." According to number of attorneys, the charges against the activists are exaggerated.