THESSALONIKI PRISONERS SOLIDARITY

NEWS RELEASE WEDNESDAY 9TH JULY 2003 EMBARGO UNTIL NOON, THURSDAY 10TH JULY 2003

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FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS OF FRAMED UK ACTIVIST
DEMONSTRATE AT GREEK NATIONAL TOURIST OFFICE

“Beaten Up, Fitted Up and Locked Up” say supporters.
“Drop the Charges, Set them Free” they demand.


Friends and supporters of a UK activist will stage a joint demonstration today outside the offices of both the Greek National Tourist Office and state-owned Greek airline, Olympic Airways.

Simon Chapman, 29, from Basildon Essex had travelled with friends to Thessaloniki, Greece last month to protest at the EU summit meeting, joined by thousands of activists from Europe and beyond. They were part of a large march which was attacked by Greek riot police on Saturday 21st June. As the crowd fled, Simon fell to the ground and was attacked, receiving serious head injuries from the police.

Worse was to come as the police removed the blue rucksack he had been wearing and replaced it with 3 black rucksacks filled with weapons and Molotov Cocktails. His own rucksack went missing and has yet to be recovered.

Captured on Film
Fortunately (and in what we hope is the best hope he has against such blatant corruption) the incident was captured on film by a Greek TV news crew that broadcast pictures of police collecting a hammer and an axe, placing them into a black rucksack and bringing it over to Simon, now surrounded by other police officers.

The pictures capture the scene, before this moment. Initially, there are NO bags around Simon. Minutes later, 3 black bags are carried towards him by police from further up the street and placed him. He is then is arrested.

7 other activists were arrested at the same time and on the same fabricated charges.
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Refused bail, they languish in a maximum security Greek prison and are faced with sentences of between 7 and 25 years.

Dan Jarvis of support group, Thessaloniki Prisoners Solidarity said:

“We’re here today to show our support for Simon and the other prisoners. Next year Greece hosts the Olympics. They want the world to see the best they have to offer. But behind the façade lie political prisoners, beaten up, framed and imprisoned for daring to demonstrate against the EU’s racist new asylum policies.”

“We would ask the public to make up their own minds. The footage capturing Simon being framed is freely available on the internet, as blatant as can be.”

“We demand that the charges are dropped and the prisoners are released immediately” he finished.

Demonstrators will leaflet the public in an attempt to draw attention to this issue. Similar demonstrations are taking place today by supporters in Greece, Germany and other European cities.

… /ends



EDITORS NOTES

Further info can be received by contacting thessalonikiprisoners@yahoo.co.uk

The campaign has the video footage, available on CD or on VHS tape. Contact us for copies.

Alternatively you can view and download the footage from the Italian Indymedia website at: http://italy.indymedia.org/uploads/simon.avi

There are 8 prisoners facing the same 3 serious charges: Riot, Resisting authority and Possession of Explosives. The prisoners are Simon Chapman (UK), 3 Greeks, 2 Spaniards, an American and a Syrian.

Simon shares a cell with 9 other prisoners, in temperatures reaching 40 degrees. He faces a month in prison until his appeal against bail refusal is heard. If this is refused he will remain in prison for two months further, until the first opportunity to appeal against the charges themselves.

Should this appeal be turned down, the prisoners will spend between 12-18 months on remand until they get the opportunity of a full trial.