Victory for the Thessaloniki 4

After 3 weeks of court dates, adjournments and a lawyers strike – Simon Chapman, Suleiman “Kastro” Dakdouk and Michalis Triakapis were found not guilty of all but one minor charge of “minor defiance of authority”, with Fernando Perez Gorraiz being found not guilty of all charges. This has been an amazing outcome to a saga that began in July 21st 2003 with the initial violent arrests of our comrades, through to the 2 months of hunger strikes and international solidarity campaigns that won its first victory with the release of the original 7 detainees in November 2003. The final outcome of the judgement in the case finalises this 8 year story, where the Greek police, in open court, testified in their dozens by the instruction of their superiors to ensure convictions and maximum sentences for the defendants. On Monday January 31st at around 11am, 3 judges and 4 jurors return a verdict – 4 against 3 in favour of the defendants.

This shouldn’t be seen as “justice being seen to be done”, as we do not believe that justice is a value known to any court, but it is a victory for the four who stood up in their defiance against the power of the Greek state – as they did during the days of the EU summit in 2003 – and a victory of our collective solidarity when faced with the criminality of power. The prosecutors, the judges and the police were committed to their role as repressors of social and political dissent, attempting to enlist the lay jurors within their conspiracy. What limited power we may have in such circumstances was flexed and the limitations of their power laid bare. Ultimately it is with the compliance of those outside the direct employment of the state that ensures the repressive mechanisms maintain their social legitimacy, it is also by our non-acceptance of this compliance that we can break down and defend ourselves whether in the courts or on the streets.

We move forward with this victory, with the knowledge that other comrades in Greece continue to face the brutality of repression and the violence of imprisonment – until all are free we continue to fight by any means for them and all of us.

“Our passion for freedom is stronger than any prison”