Prisoners struggle in Greece
The last days a new circle of struggle has started inside the greek prisons. from the 3rd of November 2008, though a organized and coordinated move, many prisoners in all over Greece refused as a first step, to take food from the prison service in order to achieve their demands. Their demands are collected in a list of 45 points that was send to the ministry of justice and it was announced publicly. Until now more than 8.000 prisoners signed this list. They announced that in case of the rejection of their claims they will continue their struggle with more radical ways. Today Monday 10th of November in 5 prisons of Greece 3113 people are already on hunger strike and many more will follow the next days. Due to their statements the hunger strike is the second stadium of their struggle. If the state keeps refusing their demands they threat with a massive revolt as it has happen in the past.
The situation in the greek prisons is really difficult for the prisoners. The jails are overcrowded, for example in a jail for 80 people now live more than 200, there is a continuous lack of hygiene and pharmaceutical services as many other basic needs. Also, the greek penal code is really strict and many people condemned for “petty crimes” are facing high sentences, for example the half percent of the prisoners are drug addicts who are treated by the law as dealers with sentences up to 12 years. Every prison service uses different methods to keep prisoners quite and passive. If anyone protests about something if he or she does not obey to the service’ s orders can get disciplinary charges that increase the sentences and reduce their rights or even got transferred to other prisons. This is happening very often, Against this general situation many times in the past struggles rise up. The last big one took place the spring of 2007 when the prisoners revolted in the most important jails of the country and in many cases they faced the brutal state repression.
From the first day many people from the radical movement mobilize in support of the prisoners, organizing demos, direct actions, public meetings, propaganda. Also the solidarity groups have set a communication net not only between the supporters and the prisoners but also between the prisoners themselves.
Cronicle of solidarity actions
31-10 solidarity demo with motorbikes and cars (200 people) at diavata prison,thessaloniki video
1-11 solidarity demo outside of the prison of Xania
3-11 solidarity demo outside of the prison Volos
4-11 public concetrations at city's centers, thessaloniki, Xania
6-11 solidarity demo with motorbikes and cars (300 people) at diavata prison, thessaloniki
6-11 solidarity demo with motorbikes and cars (300 people) at coridallos prison, athens
7-11 occupation of radio stations, thessaloniki,Lamia\
7-11 symbolic attack in a green ministry athens
7-11 public concetration, athens, Xania, Serres
8-11 solidarity demo, volos
10-11 solidarity open concert at city's center. Athens
Actions that are coming
11-11 solidarity demo at city' s center, thessaloniki
13-11 solidarity demo at city' s center, Athens
PRISONERS DEMANDS
We the prisoners of the hell called with an euphemism: prisons of the greek state, tired with the fake promisses of all justice ministers in the last 10 years, to ameliorate prison conditions and the penal code and the penal justice code, decided to move forcefully, in order to claim our rightful demands.
WE DEMAND:
1. Abolish disciplinary charges. Modify the Penitentiary Code's articles 68, 69, 70, 71. In any case, the disciplinary charges must be removed after the are served, and not accumulated nor taken into consideration when it comes to days off, work, education and discharge under conditions after they are served.
2. Reduction of the sentence limit for discharge under conditions, from 3/5 to the 3/7 of the sentence time. Immediate abolishment of the anti-constitutonal treaty that increased up to the 4/5 of crimes related to drugs.
3. Once and for all 3 year reduction of all prices, to make easier the relieve of over-crowding of prisons. NO to the new panoptic prisons, built isolated away from the cities social tissue.
4. Abolish the juuvenile prisons. Adopt open structure to take care of and protect the teenagers and youth.
5. Reduction of sentence limit of 25 years of continuous detention. Reduction of the minimum detention time to be discharged under conditions to 12 years from 16 that it is today, according to european legislature.
6. Immediate and without exceptions application of days-off, suspensions, and other benefits of the law, reduction of the minimal sentence time limits. Increase the number of days-off to 60 for those that have a right to 5 days and to 96 for those with a right to 8.
7. To end the over-use of pre-trial detentions and reduce the time limit to 12 months.
8. The para-justice racket is known for its hysteria of the last 8 years, leading to revengeful killing sentences. We as for proportionate sentences and wide application of the measure of suspension and discharge under conditions.
9. Full, permanent and 24 hour medical treatment and respect to the patients. Creation and improvement of adequate hygiene spaces (baths and toilets). Immediate integration of the Korydallos prison psychiatric and medical clinic to the National Health System, with new aisles for women and juveniles, that lack now. Immediate transportation of patients to public hospitals with ambulances and not in police vehicles, tied up with their hands behind their back.
10. To be provided the right in beneficial work payment, education, second chance schools, technical workshops and participation in diverse similar programms, to all prisoners proportionate and without any discrimination. To be given educational days-off, for all prisoners, that meet with the criteria and terms to study outside prison and for all levels of education and technical skills learning. Substancial amplification of withdrawal projects to all prisons.
11. Abolishion of the prison no-go zone. Free access for social and political institutions, Lawers Associations, Hellenic Medical Association and EINAP, organizations for human rights, NGOs and international organizations. Free circulation of political and educative press, with no exceptions.
12. Alternative forms of detention, amplification of agricultural prisons and of the institution of semi-free sentence as well as community service.
13. Amplification of the institution of free visits in humain conditions with respect to the personality and dignity of the prisoners and the visitors. Private place to meet with our companion.
14. Work and access to creative activities for all of us. Beneficial account of days of work in the sentence.
15. Right to selection of serving the sentence in their country of origin, for the prisoners from other countries, once and if they wish.
16. Humain transport conditions with improvement of the room in the preposterous transportation means of the greek police. More stops, improvement of the detention room in the miserable "Metagogon" transfer prison and faster transfer to the destination prisons.
DEMANDS OF THE WOMEN PRISONERS AT ELEONAS, THIVA PRISON:
On the occasion of the third-world life conditions inside this establishment but also our treatment by the totality of the ministry of justice services, and more precisely: Inexistant medical-pharmaceutical supply. Few, to even inexistant hygiene supply (without any right to a private purchase). Inexistant basic hygiene (no warm water). Inexistant social services and care. Preposterous food, because of luck of supplies. Even first need stuff is an unknown word here. Racist treatment of the prisoners when it comes to days-off and suspensions. Injust treatment of sentence accounts for suspension proportionate to the offence (2/5, 3/5 etc). Vast delays when it comes to bringing the case to the courthouse and especially the court of appeals. The peculiar stiffness of the persons judging us, despite the recommendations they have received. The inexistant second chance we are all waiting for and most of us have a right on it, but are never given. We decided to abstain from prison food commons from 03/11/2008 until proportionate measures are taken in regards to all the above. We expect your understanding.
the prisoners demands in german
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