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Posts Tagged ‘Athena Tsakalou’

CCF Escape Case: Statement of Athena Tsakalou to the court (Greece)

Tuesday, July 12th, 2016

Below is the statement of Athena Tsakalou (the mother of CCF anarchist prisoners Christos Tsakalos and Gerasimos Tsakalos) which was read out in Koridallos prison court by her defense lawyer in late June 2016, while the CCF escape case trial was still underway.

I haven’t chosen silence, even though it expresses me on many occasions because everyone interprets silence as it suits them. I’ve preferred to make this personal statement. And I call it personal because I don’t belong anywhere; I only belong to myself.

There comes a moment when you take a look back at the years in your life, and you realise you’ve left to live far fewer than the years you’ve already lived; that is, if everything goes well. And this is a strange but intense sensation, which makes me ask myself to be sincere. Not in the simple way we often think about it, but in an essential, deeper way.

I don’t like to say: where is this world going? It’s something that we – people at an older age – often do, but such a phrase conceals some sort of innocence that I refuse to accept. I prefer to ask myself: how do you yourself walk through this world?

And the truth is that all I want is to walk among people in a consolatory manner. It’s very important to be able to console people, especially your own people; to be able to tell them when they’re going through tough times: I’m standing by you; I’ll always stick with you. Nothing else. This is my only desire, and I’m glad whenever I’m able to do that.

So when Angeliki knocked on the door of my home, that’s exactly what I did. And it was a great pleasure for me that I was able to offer her refuge, even if only for a short while. The way the world is, the only place I want to live in is the place of defiance.

Assuming that, throughout the centuries, people have intended to live, if not a life of happiness, at least a joyful life, their history to date shows that they’ve failed. History books, either the official, inspected ones, or the secret ones that it’s hard to come by, show that people have failed. It may be that the conditions for survival or living standards got better – although ‘better’ is relative, as this is not the case in some parts of the earth – but the pain, the horror of wars, of hunger and oppression continue to rise.

Of course there’s a difference; a nightmarish difference. Nowadays, death is no longer caused just by hand-to-hand combat on the battlefields where, even from a distance determined by a firearm, you’re able to see the falling body and hear the cry of pain, and regardless of how much dehumanised you’ve become, this sight and sound leaves a peculiar imprint within you that, at some point, might make you not want war anymore. On today’s battlefields, we find ourselves in the era of smart bombs, and one is able to retain ‘their innocence’ by pressing a button which brings mass death; that’s the difference.

For some time now, more than 10,000 refugee children who were travelling unaccompanied have disappeared in Europe over the past 18–24 months. There are fears that many of them have fallen victim to exploitation by organised crime networks…

The world’s 62 richest people hold as much wealth as half the population on the planet…

The earth’s products are enough to feed its entire population, yet millions of people, millions of children die of hunger.

Some very few, like these 62 wealthiest people in the world, might say: ‘all this stuff about a joyful life is nothing but a trap set for the many to be lured into it, because the whole deal with the world is a game, a game of death. It’s not just the money that matters; besides, we have plenty of that; what really matters is the ability to use our power to play games with the entire world; all of a sudden, to drive thousands of people to death; to scare entire populations with wars, famine and diseases when we’re bored; because that’s also up to us, to cause diseases, thanks to scientists. In some sense, we’re a kind of gods; and gods are always almighty.’

And this is true, but it’s also true that there are no gods without believers. Gods cannot just live all by themselves; they want their faithful to walk quietly around their gardens, ready to execute their orders – all of their orders, even if it means killing one another. However, there are always those whose blood is resided by the first rebellion of Eve and Adam.

And it’s about time we said: after so much human blood watering the earth’s soil every day, after all this lament filling the earth’s air, if there’s no change of course for the human species, if the human mind isn’t crossed by a lightning at some point, so that we see everything differently… then indeed it’d be a brave decision if people eventually said: ‘for so many centuries, we’ve been unable to find joy; we might as well admit that as a species we aren’t capable of something like this; we might as well admit our failure and leave calmly; let us be the last of the humans; let us admit that only trees deserve life, continuity, eternity as they’re free of the instinct of war, of horror.’

Lately all I want to do is plant trees. And someone might ask me: but is this truly your deepest desire? No, I haven’t done well; I’m still determined by the ability to see as far as my eye can see, to keep my mind off things by taking pleasure in small joys; but when I open the eye of my mind to a worldwide wandering, a worldwide looking, and I see how small a share joy has in people’s lives, I say once more: if the dream doesn’t enter people’s lives, if there’s no change of course for the human species, only trees deserve continuity, life, eternity.

Athena Tsakalou

– via contrainfo

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Posted in Cognitive Liberty

Koridallos prison, Athens: Summary of sentences in the CCF escape case trial (Greece)

Saturday, July 9th, 2016

On July 8th 2016, the Koridallos prison court – presided over by special judge Asimina Yfanti – convicted all members of the anarchist revolutionary organisation Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, who were accused of placing an explosive device at Koridallos tax office; sending a parcel bomb to the police station in Itea (in retaliation for the murder of inmate Ilir Kareli by prison guards); sending a letter bomb to the home of Dimitris Mokkas (special appellate judge against terrorism); planning an armed escape from Koridallos prison (dubbed “Gorgopotamos project”); and possession of firearms, explosives and anti-tank RPGs with the purpose of “disrupting the country’s social, economic and political life.” Furthermore, in relation to these charges, they were convicted of “direction of a terrorist organisation” and incitement (“moral instigation”) to four attempted homicides.

During the sentencing, there was a strong presence of comrades in solidarity with the anarchists and the dignified individuals co-accused in the CCF escape case trial. There was also heavy police presence (including an anti-riot squad).

CCF members:

The ten CCF anarchist prisoners Gerasimos Tsakalos, Christos Tsakalos, Giorgos Polidoros, Olga Ekonomidou, Theofilos Mavropoulos, Panagiotis Argirou, Giorgos Nikolopoulos, Michalis Nikolopoulos, Damiano Bolano, Haris Hadjimihelakis were sentenced to 115 years in prison each.

Comrade Angeliki Spyropoulou:

The anarchist prisoner Angeliki Spyropoulou was sentenced to 28 years in prison.

Relatives of CCF members:

Athena Tsakalou (the mother of CCF members Gerasimos Tsakalos and Christos Tsakalos) and Evi Statiri (the partner of Gerasimos Tsakalos) were found not guilty by a majority opinion (instead of a unanimous verdict).

However, Christos Polidoros (the brother of CCF member Giorgos Polidoros) was convicted of “membership in the terrorist organisation Conspiracy of Cells of Fire” and received a 6-year suspended sentence.

Other prison sentences & a couple of acquittals:

Christos Rodopoulos (nicknamed “Iasonas” by authorities), who has denied all charges, was sentenced to 75 years in prison.

Christodoulos Xiros (convicted 17N member) was sentenced to 65 years in prison.

Four other defendants were convicted of alleged membership in the organisation and sentenced to 27-28 years in prison each.

Fabio Dusko was sentenced to 8 years in prison.

Four other defendants were acquitted of membership in the organisation but received a 6-year suspended sentence.

Two other defendants were found guilty of misdemeanor offenses.

Two defendants were found not guilty.

– via contrainfo

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Posted in Prison Struggle

Imprisoned comrades of CCF sentenced to 115 years each for the attempted prison escape (Greece)

Friday, July 8th, 2016

08.07.16: Breaking news from Greece: 10 Conspiracy of Cells of Fire defendants sentenced to 115 years each for the attempted prison escape. Relatives / loved ones of the CCF comrades – Evi Statiri, Athena Tsakalou and Christos Polydoros have all been released, while the other 15 defendants received shorter sentences. More news as it becomes available.

Solidarity with the CCF comrades and their families and loved ones!

For an insurrectionary response of international solidarity to the vengeful ‘justice’ of the Greek state!

– via InsurrectionNews

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Posted in Prison Struggle

The Conspiracy of Cells of Fire escape plan trial will end this week (Greece)

Tuesday, July 5th, 2016

Hearing of June 29th

On Wednesday the court heard the speech of the prosecutor I. Koutra. The speech went for almost the whole hearing which is approximately six hours. The bastard devoted himself to criticizing the approaches of anarchists and the actions of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire, defending the existence of the state, laws, judges and police officers and proclaiming that a world without judges or prisons is something ‘cute’ but impossible.

Regarding the charges that he is seeking to convict the CCF comrades with, the prosecutor suggested to the judges that they convict them for ‘directing’ a terrorist organization, attempted murder, the possession and supply of weapons and explosives, explosions that ‘risk human life’, vehicle theft and attempted escape.

The prosecutor also suggested that the comrade Angeliki Spyropoulou be convicted of belonging to a terrorist organization and possession and supply of explosives.

For Athena Tsakalou and Evi Statiri he suggested that the charge of participation in a ‘terrorist’ organization be discarded, which rules out for them a sentence of 10-20 years. For Christos Polydoros he also suggested that same charge be discarded however he suggested that the comrade be convicted for the strange accusation of ‘facilitating the membership of a terrorist organization’ under the idea that the comrade would have helped Angeliki join the CCF. (more…)

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Posted in Prison Struggle

CCF escape plan trial is ending + Statement to the court by Olga Economidou, member of CCF / FAI-FRI (Greece)

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2016

At the hearing on Friday, June 17th, one of the last ‘apologies’ heard was the prisoner Fabio Dusko who is accused of involvement in the CCF escape attempt. Fabio refused to answer questions from the judges and declared in a statement: “I am proud to cooperate with the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire and would do it again to regain freedom. Escaping from prison is the duty of every prisoner”.

The trial was suspended until June 29th. It is important to note that under Greek legislation pre-trial detention has a maximum period of 18 months. After this the prisoner can then be released to await trial. In the case of the comrade Angeliki Spyropoulou and other defendants, the pre-trial detention term expires on July 13th. In light of this, judge A. Yfanti managed to conduct an “express trial” and has stated that the trial will be finished on July 10th with sentences for the the defendants, seeking to prevent their return to the street.

To fast track the trial – as mentioned in previous updates – the judge ‘read’ thousands of pages of judicial reports in record time, attempted to conduct the trial without the presence of lawyers, the defendants or the public and suspended other trials (including the trial of members of the fascist organization Golden Dawn) to ensure that the court room was always available for the CCF escape plan trial.

Let no comrade remain alone!

via Sin Banderas Ni Fronteras and Athens Indymedia, translated into English by Insurrection News

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Statement to the court by Olga Economidou regarding the attempted prison escape by the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire

I did not come to this court room today to offer my apologies. I do not stand here and apologize to you because I do not regret anything. Even if I could turn back time a thousand times, I would still make the same decision. The desire for freedom cannot be put on trial or imprisoned. (more…)

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Posted in Prison Struggle

Updates from the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire escape plan trial (Greece)

Sunday, June 19th, 2016

June 6th and 7th hearings

The June 6th and 7th hearings were for the 250 attacks by the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire and the attempted escape of 2015. Witnesses for the defense were presented for some of the defendants.

For their part, the comrades Christos and Gerasimos Tsakalos, along with the comrades Giorgos Polydoros, Olga Economidou and Angeliki Spyropoulou attended the trial and refused to present witnesses for their defense as they have stated since day one that “for us the best ‘defense’ is the continuation of the action in the streets”.

Witnesses for the defense of the three relatives of the CCF comrades (Christos Polydoros, Evi Statiri and Athena Tsakalou) were also presented.

The statements of the witnesses focused on the criminalization of family relations and referred to cases that occurred during the dictatorship in Greece (1967-1974) in which rebels and insurgents were aided or given refuge to prevent being arrested by the Military Junta. (more…)

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Posted in Prison Struggle

CCF Escape Case: Evi Statiri and Athena Tsakalou are not allowed to attend their own trial (Greece)

Friday, March 4th, 2016

Regarding the trial for the escape plan from Korydallos prison against the members of the C.C.F. something truly incomprehensible is unfolding…

Two of the defendants, Athena Tsakalou and Evi Statiri cannot be present at court during the trial because of certain restrictions as part of their conditional release from pre-trial detention.

During the three times the court convened so far, the same thing happened: the judge calls their names to register their attendance and every time the exact same dialogue follows. The defence attorneys have to explain that both women are under conditional release and if restrictions are violated they will be re-arrested. These restrictions are in the form of house arrest for Athena Tsakalou who lives on Salamina island, while Evi Statiri is not allowed to cross the 1km radius from her residence. (more…)

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Posted in Prison Struggle

Athens: CCF escape case trial set for February 15th 2016 (Greece)

Tuesday, January 12th, 2016

February 15th: Trial date for the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire escape plan – Prosecution against relatives of political prisoners

The trial concerning the plan of Conspiracy of Cells of Fire comrades to escape from Koridallos prisons has been set for February 15th. A total of 28 people are accused in this trial. Conspiracy of Cells of Fire comrades have taken responsibility for the escape plan from the outset, defending their choice as a means to continue anarchist struggle.

However, this time the judicial mafia has experimented on our comrades by applying an insidious and vengeful blackmail against them.

In addition to making the heaviest possible indictment against several of the accused, whose relation with Conspiracy of Cells of Fire members was solely limited to friendly contacts, they’ve prepared new guillotines.

The inquisitor Eftichis Nikopoulos (special appellate judge against terrorism) and the judicial councils that followed, have also put forward for trial relatives of political prisoners: Athena Tsakalou (the mother of CCF members Gerasimos Tsakalos and Christos Tsakalos), Evi Statiri (the partner of Gerasimos), and Christos Polidoros (the brother of CCF member Giorgos Polidoros), on charges of “membership in the terrorist organisation Conspiracy of Cells of Fire”!!!

Athena Tsakalou and Evi Statiri were originally remanded in March 2015, and then broke out of captivity.

Athena was released a month after her arrest, following the hunger strike of Conspiracy of Cells of Fire members and anarchist comrade Angeliki Spyropoulou. Six months later, Evi was also released from prison, following the hunger strike undertaken by her and her partner Gerasimos Tsakalos.

During the two hunger strikes, a multifaceted movement developed against the judicial coup, expressing solidarity by means of gatherings, banner drops, occupation of buildings, acts of sabotage and incendiary attacks…

Nevertheless, after the release of Athena and Evi, the solidarity movement gained half a victory.

Judge-executioners “granted” them a crippled freedom. Athena was exiled to Salamis Island, and Evi is restricted to one kilometer from her home by a “freedom distance-meter”.

At the same time, they have been prohibited from any communication with their relatives, thus isolating them behind invisible grids.

We see this strategy of Power of isolating political prisoners being broadened, as is the case with the recent visitation ban against Revolutionary Struggle member Nikos Maziotis [whose friend and comrade was recently prohibited from visiting him in prison].

Similarly, the judicial mafia continues its sorcery against relatives of political prisoners, having remanded Maria Theofilou [the partner of Giorgos Petrakakos].

On February 15th, Power will once again try to erect its guillotines against relatives of political prisoners.

They’ve made their intentions crystal clear by now. According to the accusatory dossier, which is over 10,000 pages, they’ve chosen to call only 20 witnesses to the stand (half of whom are anti-terrorist police officers), with the purpose of fast-tracking proceedings; it seems convictions have already been issued…

February 15th marks the beginning of a new wager for people in struggle, negators of Power, people in solidarity… Our wager is to nullify the Power’s vindictive plans, stand side by side with the comrades, and continue what we’ve started… To subvert the judicial coup and stand against the prosecution of political prisoners’ relatives.

Because this trial prefigures future persecutions. What is being tested today against relatives of political prisoners, tomorrow will be tested against friends, people in solidarity, people in struggle…

For this reason and all the reasons in this world, once again we are preparing to venture into new battles against the laws of cops, judges and the Power’s priesthood.

Our quiver contains many arrows, such as the recent memory of gestures against the fascist persecutions of political prisoners’ relatives, but also the fresh traces of actions for Black December, that have strayed from the silent paths of social peace.

In the face of challenges posed by the State and judicial mafia, we respond with the challenge of insurrectionist action. With the trial on February 15th as a point of encounter, to oppose the persecution of relatives, let’s make this New Year beginning our own restart – with international call-outs, assemblies, counter-information, demonstrations, occupations, acts of sabotage, attacks – for the complete overthrow of the existent. With not even a single moment wasted.

“Stone, iron, wood can be broken… but it is impossible to break a determined human being with a conscience.”

Solidarity with Conspiracy of Cells of Fire comrades and anarchist Angeliki Spyropoulou

Against the prosecution of political prisoners’ relatives
(Christos Polidoros, Athena Tsakalou, Evi Statiri)

in Greek

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via contrainfo

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Posted in Social Control

Athens: 27 people indicted for the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire escape plan (Greece)

Tuesday, November 17th, 2015

Via Contrainfo:

On November 16th 2015, it became known that a total of 27 people are being indicted for the case of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire planned escape from Koridallos prisons. Persons belonging to the immediate family nucleus of captive anarchists are included among the accused; that is, Athena Tsakalou (mother of the CCF members Christos and Gerasimos Tsakalos) and Evi Statiri (wife of Gerasimos Tsakalos) will also stand trial.

Meanwhile, Evi Statiri had filed a motion for the lifting of one of the restrictive conditions imposed on her after her release from prison. She had requested the lifting of the prohibition on communicating and meeting with her imprisoned partner Gerasimos Tsakalos, but her motion was rejected earlier this month (November 3rd).

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Posted in Prison Struggle

Athens: Political parties’ kiosks torched and vandalized (Greece)

Thursday, October 15th, 2015

Political parties’ kiosks torched and vandalized (Athens, 19/09/2015)

Inter Arma received and translated:

On Saturday 19/9 at dawn, we tried to disrupt even temporarily the conformism of the petty masses. As the crowd was sharpening its passivity, ready once again to show its complicity by supporting the authoritarian structure, we tried to actively declare our complicity with the anarchist prisoners, who carry out their own fight against the isolation and alienation their are subjected to in the condition of imprisonment.

Evi Statiri, partner of Gerasimos Tsakalos, is on a hunger strike since 14/9 demanding only the termination of her unjustified detention. Evi Satiri, victim of the authority’s generalized power expansion strategy is imprisoned in the cells of democracy since 2/3 when she arrested together with Angeliki Spyropoulou and Athena Tsakalou in Salamina and is accused of being member of a terrorist organization without any evidence whatsoever. It is certain that Evi is not held hostage by the state by accident. Authority, beyond the psychological test to which it wishes to put the comrades of CCF in order to avenge them for their consistent and uncompromising aggressive attitude, has a much more dangerous target in its plans. The democratic totalitarianism of order, legality, safety, quietness, commodities, and economic domination wants to eliminate everything that questions the choices which the masses are allowed to consume from its one-dimensional reality of the spectacle.

The total expansion of a reality with predefined movement limits doesn’t allow its questioning, much more the transfer from the abstract space of ideas to the physical armed confrontation with the materializations of institutional power. Those who negate the existent, should firstly be punished and eliminated and secondly, since no punishment can erase events, have their choices isolated, marginalized, ridiculed and communicated in the rational control tanks and their bearers. Anarchists urban guerrillas who attempt a radical deconstruction of modern life, should literally disappear from the social terrain in order for the smooth operation of the system and it is a natural consequence by which no one should be surprised that family members and friends are prosecuted, following their choice to have relationships with people whose history should be deleted from the social memory.

Under these conditions we wanted to disrupt the daily flow of news, information and events of an election campaign, we placed incendiary devices at two election kiosks, one of the Communist Party and one of SYRIZA in Ano Patissia, and vandalized one kiosk of ND (New Democracy) in Kifissia. Although there are many reasons to attack these political parties, the choice was essentially arbitrary, so we will not bother explaining any special reasons for these attacks since as anarcho-nihilists we are hostile towards every political structure. The time frame of the attack however was not arbitrary at all. Our choice to attack a day before the elections was aimed to disrupt the democratic spectacular relations where domination demonstrates its ideological omnipotence. Elections also are fully adapted to the existence of the modern slave who was asked to give away a life whose rights have already been taken, to the hands of a specialist. The votes deposited in the ballot box bear the imprints of an abandoned life and a rented consciousness whose every desire is the product of social imperatives, independent only to the extend that it confirms the one-dimensional civilization of the authoritarian world.

It is obvious that the choices and issues of anarchist prisoners have no place within the borders of domination and that is why we as anarchists take up the task of establishing the flow of our own world against those who in the face of the fear of a chaotic life chose to seek refuge in the smoothness of authoritarian realism. In contrast with the procedures for managing the masses, the issues concerning anarchist comrades are directly linked to us and we are prepared to assist them when necessary. Far from reproducing nihilistic intellectualism and the commodified notion of violence for violence, expressed by discontented crowds, let us go on the offensive always according to our desire for action. Let us put an end to the graphic reproduction of phrases spoken too many times and harmless slogans and let us begin to live the war for which so much ink has been spilled.

Immediate release of the hunger striker Evi Statiri, not because her imprisonment is “illegal” or “unjust” but because we demand it.

Immediate granting of educational prison leaves to Nikos Romanos

WAR ON DEMOCRACY

DEATH TO LAW

DEATH TO SOCIETY


Nihilists for the total attack against the existent

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Posted in Direct Action

Lesvos: Incendiary attack against the office of Charalabos Athanasiou, New Democracy MP and ex-Minister of Justice (Greece)

Thursday, October 15th, 2015

Incendiary attack against the office of Ch. Athanasiou (Lesvos, 02/10/2015)

Inter Arma received and translated:

«…modern totalitarianism can be defined as the establishment, by means of the state of exception, of a legal civil war that allows for the physical elimination not only of political adversaries but of entire categories of citizens who for some reason cannot be integrated into the political system. … Since then, the voluntary creation of a permanent state of emergency (though perhaps not declared in the technical sense) has become one of the essential practices of contemporary states, including so-called democratic ones».

Giorgio Agamben
(State of Exception: The State of Exception as a Paradigm of Government)

After the discovery of the anarchist organization’s Conspiracy of Cells of Fire escape plan, from Koridallos Prison, at the beginning of the year, the “benevolent” institution of Alexandras avenue and the, several times, corrupted Counter Terrorism Unit (Special Violent Crime Squad) coordinated an unprecedented attack against the organization’s relatives and friendly environment, which was attended by the equivalent propaganda, during the election period. Two months later, after detentions, arrests and calls for interrogation to family and friends, on March 2nd, the crescendo of this media dissonance reached its highest point when the Counter Terrorism Unit puppets landed to Salamina island and arrested the wanted comrade Aggeliki Spiropoulou, who sought refuge in the home of Athena Tsakalou, mother of Christos and Gerasimos Tsakalos, imprisoned C.C.F. members, while, during Aggeliki’s arrest, Gerasimos’ wife, Evi Statiri, was also at home, and was also arrested on charges of harboring a criminal, that was later upgraded to accession and participation in the organization. The two women are transferred like cop’s trophies to GADA, among cameras and crime reporters and are pre-trial detained, under a fast-track procedure. The 60-year-old mother of the Tsakalos brothers, who – unasked – came along to the prosecutor in charge, was also pre-trial detained. The imprisoned members of the organization and A. Spiropoulou declared the beginning of a hunger strike, demanding only the immediate release of their relatives. After 32 days of a hard hunger strike, the comrades’ and the solidarity movement’s struggle is victorious, since a specific amendment is passed in the Parliament, concerning the release of detainees’ relatives. However, despite the release of Ath. Tsakalou under the most serious restrictive conditions, Evi Statiri remains imprisoned, as her successive requests for release, are emotively rejected by the special appellate magistrate Eftihis Nikopoulos and the judicial councils under the presidency of Isidora Poga (she also rejected the request for lifting of the restrictive conditions of A. Tsakalou, on the grounds that there’s no reason for her to visit her children in prison as well as going to the Nikaia General Hospital, to do a necessary medical examination) and Erieta Halevidou.

From the above, we come to the conclusion that the passing of the amendment was a gross persiflage of the hunger strikers – for which the first-time-left SYRIZA government’s Minister of Justice, Nikos Paraskevopoulos, bears personal responsibility – and that the organization members’ relatives’ hostage situation is an insidious emotional blackmail by the law enforcement authorities – whose prestige had been damaged by the discovery of the escape plan – against the imprisoned comrades, who, all these years, remain uncompromising in the cells of Democracy. For those who are aware of the CCF case, it is clear that the prosecution of the organization members’ relatives, was the peak of an escalating treaty, formed in the recent years by the police-judicial complex of the Greek state, which uses the specific case as a tank of prosecutions against anarchist comrades from the whole spectrum of the anarchist milieu and seek to isolate the imprisoned urban guerrillas, establish fear within the insurrectional circles, through making the detainees an example and through their persistent hostage situation of the restrictive conditions imposed, and prevent new comrades from the choices of the anarchist fight and the urban guerrilla warfare, creating this way a permanent state of emergency, in which everyone can be imprisoned, just because they are related to C.C.F. as comrades – friends – relatives.

So, after 6 months of pre-trial detention, on September 14th, 2015, Evi Statiri begins a hunger strike, in order to put an end to her continuing captivity… Within the frame of Evi’s struggle, early morning of Friday, October 2nd, we chose to attack the office of the Member of Parliament and former Minister of Justice, Charalabos Athanasiou, in the center of Mytilene.

Our attack was an act of solidarity, rage and memory. It was a solidarity signal to Evi who, during those days, with her body as a weapon, asserted her freedom, against the criminalization of the family and friendly relationships of the political prisoners. Evi stood up towards the fear of the Authority’s shadow, that wished to wreak its revenge on her companion, Gerasimos Tsakalos, and punish her for the years she has stood by him. Her victorious hunger strike and her release proved that if you choose to face the fear straight in the eyes, fear will be scared and will retreat…

It was an act of rage for the days and the work of Ch. Athanasiou. Athanasiou, as a modern inquisitor, is the head of a judicial clique (among which also is the Advocate of the Supreme Court E. Goutzamani, who from the same place as Athanasiou) that, through scheming and machinations “set” judicial cases, do favors to their own people, extort in the interests of the conservative oligarchy of the mobsters of Mount Athos (Efraim case) and the loathsome priesthood… In spite of the leaks of the ND (New Democracy) Press Office on his forthcoming dismissal from the ministerial chair, during the government reshuffle of that period, due to his “inexpedient” handling of the Golden Dawn case, the former president of the Union of Magistrates and Prosecutors remained in place as political supervisor of the Greek Justice, in some mysterious way, pertained to the godparenthood of Antonis Samaras’ kinfolk with a local lobby of magnates and personal friends. After covering the accounting scandal in which he played a leading part, through the concealment of his assets, Athanasiou purports to be the chastiser of the dissidents and the political prisoners. He was the Minister of Justice who inaugurated the high-security prisons (type C), in Domokos, for urban guerrillas and “dangerous” convicts serving long sentences. Even after his retirement from the ministry, he attended to let his foster children in the appropriate posts of power, in order for them to complete his work. King of the castle, the special appellate magistrate E. Nikopoulos (planted in this position by Athanasiou and his uncle Vasilis Nikopoulos, former president of the Supreme Court, who is involved in a pedophilia case in Northern Greece, defending an Archimandrite and threatening witnesses). E. Nikopoulos, strictly following the instructions of his mentor Ch. Athanasiou, launches a fierce counter-terrorism campaign. He is responsible for the shut-off of anarchist Nikos Romanos’ educational leaves, as well as initiator of the most fascist persecution of relatives of political prisoners, with the pre-trial detaining of A. Tsakalou and E. Statiri.

It was an act of memory, as the persecution of political prisoners’ relatives, the new places of exile and the murdering restrictive orders (ban on leaving the Salamina island for A. Tsakalou, ban on distancing over 1km away from her home and ban on the communication with her companion G. Tsakalos for E. Statiri) bring back in mind other iron-clad periods. Periods during which thousands of people were transferred to Makronisos island, to Ai Stratis and other places of oblivion, for the regime fear to win. Periods during which the family of Athanasiou worked with the Germans snitching on guerrillas. In fact his father, who was a well-known traitor, when captivated by guerrillas, was spared… It seems that spying was the legacy left by the father to his son, who’s today, in turn, chasing anarchists.

Moreover, we’re sending another message, through our attack: The responsibilities of those who serve the power are neither forgotten nor are retired… Those who play with our comrades’ lives, who built walls and raise bars in order to keep us apart, those who have blood on their gown, should not feel secure, never and nowhere… Our enemy always has a name and an address!

Evi’s victorious struggle is just a snapshot of the overall fight that we want to give… From Mytilene to Agrinio, from Komotini to Crete, messengers of the insurrection and anarchy sabotage the regularity of a life going by so confidently and so painfully, like a well-tuned clock… From the attacks against courts and pre-election political parties’ kiosks to the squat of the TEI of Athens, from the open assemblies to the vandalism of election centers, from the street and squares interventions to the gatherings, from the comrade’s G. Tsakalos hunger strike in solidarity to the attempt of squat of governing party offices (ANEL) in the center of Athens, from the banners, the posters, to the gathering outside the hospital where Evi was hospitalized, this is our world against theirs, against the laws, the judges and their uniforms… We are the provocateurs of their peaceful sleeping, we are the practical theory of the insurrection, we are the first waves before the tsunami that will drown out the authoritarian culture!

«So the bet remains to us, every anarchist cell and individuality that promotes continuous attack and rebellion, to prove that there will be no truce with the enemy neither now nor ever. Particularly in times of repressive operations one does not step back, but instead reignites the attack outbreaks in order to become truly dangerous. To remain a threat as an internal enemy at the heart of the system. Because everything that rolls downhill, stops only when it finds an obstacle in front of it, otherwise it will continue to do so indefinitely by continuously increasing speed, carrying away anything of inferior proportions. It is a live wager, without end, but with continuity, evolution and one direction only… liberation, anarchy.»

Olga Ekonomidou, imprisoned member of C.C.F. – F.A.I.

WHOEVER FORGETS THE PRISONERS OF THE ANARCHIST – REVOLUTIONARY WAR, WILL SOON FORGET THE WAR ITSELF

SOLIDARITY AND STRENGTH TO THE ANARCHISTS OF PRAXIS ALL OVER THE WORLD

FREEDOM TO THE POLITICAL PRISONERS

HONOUR FOR EVER TO SPIROS DRAVILAS


Insurrectionals from the Frontier

PS.1. The rumors that human lives were put in danger are totally untrue, as the only inhabited apartment is on the 5th floor and has immediate access to neighboring rooftop. We suggest your sending the cost of the damage suffered by the communal area of the building and the dentist, to the Charity Shops of the Metropolis of Mytilene, guild of which Athanasiou and Gkoutzamani are founding members. We think that the Metropolitan Jacob and all together with him, will be glad to launder “black” money from their funny businesses, with a donation…

2. Given that, lately, after the transition of dozens of riot police officers, the island has turned into a vast pigsty, which is common knowledge, the local decision makers along with the local lobotomized citizens – who are sometimes being emotively disinterested, sometimes express their xenophobic gregarious instincts and sometimes benefit, through a vulgar toutism, from the refugee crisis, should keep in mind that their disgraces do not go unnoticed, their moves are being noted and, sooner or later, they will face the cost of their choices…

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Posted in Direct Action

Athens: Incendiary solidarity with Evi Statiri and Athena Tsakalou (Greece)

Saturday, September 12th, 2015

At dawn on September 2, 2015 we torched:

– 2 National Bank ATMs in the neighborhood of Galatsi
– 1 ATM of Alpha Bank in Patisia district
– 1 Piraeus Bank ATM in the suburb of Peristeria
– as well as smashing a Piraeus Bank ATM in the district of Galatsi

Our only motivation was our desire to attack. Attacking a prison-society that tries to mold, discriminate and classify our needs, desires and relationships and adapt them to serve it’s objectives: the perpetuation of a system of repression and the strategic manipulation of subjectivity and diversity.

The commitment we have to succeed as anarchists is the following one: ensuring that we impose the flow of our world that runs on the rhythms that determine our anarchistic wills away from the lights of the machines of Power; against the social reality of economic, scientific and ideological domination, the morality of commerce and of a world that is classified and commodified to produce questions with ready-made answers.

Against this framework of domination we choose to continue insurrectionist action in the here and now. It is clear that the apparatus of power will do all that it can to repress anything that is opposed to the economizing of life. This has the consequence of it being socially acceptable for power to be applied to the greatest extent in prisons. In the dungeons of democracy there are those who choose to act on the basis of their desires for freedom instead of accepting servitude and nonexistence. The anarchist prisoners are our comrades in the war against the existent and we are not going to abandon them to their fates between the jaws of the judicial complex of shit. We must not forget our imprisoned comrades but we do not have to idolize them. We would like to make it clear that we do not fear the consequences of our actions nor any questions or doubts about their value.

The prisoner’s positions have remained consistent and unaltered despite the conditions of their confinement. This is why the authorities uses the dirtiest methods to try and break them. The organs of Power with their characteristic vendetta do not hesitate to criminalize solidarity as well as family and personal relationships making it’s vindictive mania even more obvious – as in the case of Athena Tsakalou, mother of Gerasimos and Christos Tsakalos and of the life partner of Gerasimos, Evi Statiri.

This first wave of attacks is a response to the vindictive blows of the State, as well as a signal of solidarity with anarchist prisoners worldwide.

FREEDOM FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN THE CELLS

IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF EVI STATIRI

LIFT THE RESTRICTIVE MEASURES AGAINST ATHENA TSAKALOU

– Burning Horizons

(via Contra Info, translated into English by Insurrection News)

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Posted in Direct Action

“From the land of the forgotten against oblivion…” by Olga Ekonomidou, imprisoned member of CCF (Greece)

Friday, September 11th, 2015



Inter Arma received and translated:

The condition of captivity in which I find myself in for 4,5 years now as a vindictive and exemplary punishment has created a distance between me and outside reality, action. Besides, the purpose of imprisonment for those who fight against the existent is separation, deprivation, political isolation, moral annihilation. But there are always bars to break, either you walk in the monotonous sterile corridors of a “penitentiary” or you cross the decorated streets of consumption of prison-society. Now, within the prison cells of democracy, my need for freedom continues to give breath to each of my days. It’s my moving force, to think, to imagine, to organize, to act. The decision of total conflict with the existent, the power of individual choice enriched by experiences of collective action, are the ingredients that can penetrate the prison bars and high walls. Why in prison you don’t give up… you go on. You reorganize yourself and you fight. For 4,5 years I wake up in a bed in prison always a little after sunrise, although many times I liked sleeping more when I was out, I organize my every move, although outside the spontaneous often moved me, I analyze and judge the data (political and personal) of yesterday’s day alone, although outside I always shared them with comrades. For 4,5 years I wake up every morning feeling sure that I alone defined my participation in the war against any form of authority and that freedom is not given away… you conquer it yourself. (more…)

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Posted in Prison Struggle

Volos: Banner about the case of Evi Statiri (Greece)

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2015

Inter Arma received and translated:

In the morning of 02/09, we did the least we could do by hanging two banners in the city streets, seeking to send a sign of solidarity to the imprisoned Evi Statiri but also a sign of complicity in the face of the impending struggle about her release in case the six-month pre-trial detention is extended by the Court of Appeals on 03/09.

Evi Statiri is held hostage for six months now, accused of being a member of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire only because of her relationship with G.Tsakalos and the emotional blow her imprisonment can inflict on CCF’s morale, which was not bent from the discovery of the escape plan and the arrest of anarchist A.Spyropoulou, trying to make them repent. The vengeful fury of the judicial mechanisms and particularly of the appellate magistrate E.Nikopoulos, who constantly rejects the bail applications of Evi despite the provision passed after the recent hunger strike of the CCF, does not stop there, as even after her release, the mother of G. and Ch.Tsakalos, A.Tsakalou, who was arrested along with Evi, finds herself in a special form of exile in Salamina, from where she is not allowed to leave.

Strength to E.Statiri, A.Tsakalou, the comrades of the Cell of imprisoned members of CCF and A.Spyropoulou

Zero tolerance for the judicial mafia and every form of authority

The war rages on…

Until the total destruction of every prison

Until total liberation

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Posted in Prison Struggle

Dark Nights #42 : ‘In Cold Blood’, 'The Fleas and the Jackal' – August 2015 (ACN)

Thursday, August 13th, 2015

PDF: Dark Nights #42

1. ‘In Cold Blood’ by CCF/FAI-IRF.
2. ‘The Fleas and the Jackal’ by L.
3. International Solidarity Week for Imprisoned Anarchists – August 23-30 2015.
4. Direct Action Chronology.
5. Letter from anarchic nihilist comrade Sergio Alvarez.
6. Letter from Anarchist prisoner Claudio Lavazza.
7. Vatan Budak, wounded in Suruç bombing died.
8. Anarchist Ignacio Munoz Delgado detained for carrying an explosive device.
9. Update about imprisoned comrades Javier Pino and Natalia Collado.
10. Solidarity with Evi Statiri, Athena Tsakalos and Nikos Romanos.

Resist / Organise / Replicate

https://server.nostate.net/325-new/html/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/dark-nights-42.pdf

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Posted in Library