| AC Molotov squat update : first trial |
Here’s a message from an inhabitant of the squat :
Salud!
Yesterday, 6.9., we had a first trial in the case: AC Molotov (a squat in Ljubljana, Slovenia, which they want to evict since 11.7.) against its owner Slovenske Zeleznice (SZ; Slovenian Railway Company). All together was very funny and dumb. There were 9 of us, representer of SZ; lawyers and the judge, who were the only-one speaking. The first question of SZ’s lawyer was if we think to go out. Our answer was NO. Then she said there was unformal agreement between us and persons from the Museum, than we have to respect it and go out. Later, she said she doesn’t know about the agreement, because it was said by us. Ofcourse, in reality, no-one informed us about going out at that time. Their lawyer coludn’t say more than her meaning that this is a private property and if Slovenia is a state of law then there is no question who is right. The real question of this trial was if the Company knew the fact that we live there. If they did, then their accusation of disturbing the property has no meaning, because they set up a law suit too late (according to the law, the owner can put an accusation of disturbing the property to 30 days after s/he founds out that the person is using his/her property). On the question of the judge if they knew about the fact that we live there, their lawyer said she doesn’t know and they must ask the witnesses – the workers of Railway Museum. She claimed she has never been in Molotov and later that they couldn’t indentify the persons because there are about 60 people going in and out and lots of them under 18. When we applied as witnesses in the next trial, she asked if we can tell also the year of our birth, because we don’t look so old.
Our lawyer gave next evideneces about SZ’s knowing of our living in AC Molotov: two televison shows in winter (we squatted the place on new year 02), artical in newspaper (about FNB), key from the doors (we made it together with the person from Museum, because it’s the same buliding) and police records (from new year, they visited Molotov more than 30 times, identifying the inhabitants).
They were speaking also about sanitary inspection and they calimed it came alone (they didn’t call it). Here, SZ made another violation, because they would have, according to the statement made by inspection, to disinfect the place totally. They coludn’t made this with dredger and barricading the windows of the house. Their lawyer finally confesses that they wanted to destroy the house (even if they still don’t have persmission to destroy nor to bulid).
Thus, the next trial is on 22 October with 6 witnesses defending Avtonomna Cona Molotov and 2 witnesses to speak in favour of Slovenian Railway Company. This is just a starting point. If we want to continue (this will happen if we don’t find another house and we can keep this one for a year, two, we don’t know), the next big trial is about violations of human rights made by SZ and G7 (private security company) and then comes the final trial with decision when we have to go out. I think, we won’t come to the end of the trial, because we need another house (we have no water and electricity; Mirovni Institut, organization that is sponsoring our lawyer gave lots of money already for these charges and it can happen that they throw us out in winter). We made a plan of direct actions if the city doesn’t give us another house for at least 3 years!
Just to mention that the day before the trial came police with order from the judge to search the house, because SZ put an accusation of stealing the electricity. They didn’t find what they were looking for (a certain cable) and for first time they were acting almost all according to the rules (they wrote a record with our complaints, waited for the lawyer). They were too much nice, with questions like: “do you maybe know who could connected electricity?” etc.). As they didn’t get the person who connected the cables, the accusation has no meaning.
For the end – today the sindicats from Railway Company are having demonstrations, because the Company will be soon privatised. In general that means it won’t work in favour of the people (what public transport should stand for), but in favour of capital. It means more explotation of the workers and higher prices for the people, who’s only transport is train.
…a las barricadas……
maja libertad
