A British campaigner facing a possible 25-year jail sentence after being arrested during anti-capitalist demonstrations in Greece four months ago claims video evidence proves that police planted molotov cocktails and other weapons on him.

Simon Chapman, 30, from Basildon, Essex, was with thousands of other anti-capitalist protesters at the EU summit in Salonika on June 21, when he was arrested and allegedly beaten by police after rioting broke out.

The graphic designer was later charged with eight serious offences including possession and use of molotov cocktails, arson, rebellion against the state and grievous harm. He was imprisoned with six other activists and is awaiting trial.

The weapons were found in a black rucksack but Mr Chapman denies ever having had such a bag.

He claims media footage proves this was planted on him after his arrest and that he was carrying a light blue rucksack containing only bottles of water and spare clothes.

In his first interview from jail Mr Chapman told the Guardian he was angry and frustrated by the slow pace of the legal process and vehemently denied all charges against him, insisting he had been framed in order to be made an example.

"I think we are scapegoats in the sense that evidence could not be found by the usual means so then it had to be found by unusual means.

Molotovs

"Certainly the police would have to have had heads on a plate following a disturbance like that and unfortunately those heads are ours.

"Everyone knows that I am innocent. They know I am innocent. They are doing this to intimidate other protesters. I am not a violent person. I don't carry weapons. That just isn't my style.

"It is obvious that I have been set up. They said I had a black bag of molotovs. There is a photo showing I had a blue and purple bag. This is the way they play it. Truth has not got anything to do with it," he said.

Mr Chapman, who has been on hunger strike since October 5, has already had two bail applications turned down and is now awaiting the outcome of a third attempt which was lodged last week.

If this fails he could face up to 18 months in prison without trial and if found guilty he could receive a sentence of up to 25 years.

His lawyers have obtained footage from ET3, the Greek national news channel, which they believe supports his case, and handed it to the prosecutor two days after his arrest.

The prosecutor, however, does not appear to believe the pictures prove his innocence.

A photograph from Reuters shows Mr Chapman, wearing a blue and purple rucksack, lying on the ground apparently being kicked by a policeman in riot gear.

Footage from ET3, seen by the Guardian, then shows him being marched away by a group of policemen minus his bag. He is then filmed sitting on the side of the road with blood pouring down his face. The lens switches to the other side of the road where a police officer is showing an open black bag containing molotov cocktails to the camera.

It is not clear where the bag came from or why the contents are being displayed in this way. Another policeman is then seen to put an axe and hammer in the bag before placing it next to Mr Chapman.

The final shot shows him surrounded by three black rucksacks. There is no sign of the blue one.

Commenting on the evidence, a member of his Greek legal team said: "It shows the truth. That his bag has been changed by the police. They have put molotov cocktails and a hammer and an axe inside."

She confirmed that the result of the latest bail application would be known within 10 days but added that there was little hope of a positive outcome.

Mr Chapman alleges that he was beaten twice before being put in a cell, once when he was initially caught and again when he refused to do what police officers told him.

He said he had been marching along a wide road with a few thousand other demonstrators when tear gas canisters were fired from a side street.

"We were getting tear-gassed from all directions and the crowd was very tightly packed.

"It was pandemonium. I had goggles on over my glasses but my eyes were streaming and I tried to get to the edge of the crowd so I could get some water out and rinse out my eyes.

"Then a huge cloud of tear gas enveloped me and I couldn't see a thing. I felt a massive blow to the head and then another and another and I was on the floor. There were five or six batons hitting me and I was being kicked.

"They hauled me to my feet, dragged my rucksack off my back and hit me a few more times before sitting me down on the pavement," he said.

He claims a policeman then walked over, showed him a black rucksack with molotov cocktails inside and placed it at his feet. Minutes later he was told to pick up the bag and cross the road.

Mr Chapman said he was taken down a side street holding the bag but then refused to carry it any further. He said he was beaten again and eventually capitulated and picked it up.

After several hours of allegedly being dragged around by the police as they fought other protesters, Mr Chapman said he was relieved to be finally thrown into a cell.

The legal team representative said she had seen Mr Chapman the day after he was arrested and described him as "bruised on his face with open wounds".

Sabine Zanker, of Fair Trials Abroad, confirmed that 30 people had initially been arrested on June 21, but only seven, including Mr Chapman and two Spanish citizens, remained in prison.

"Almost all the charges were identical. There was only slight variation. It is very odd that so many people are supposed to have done the same things and it is difficult to understand why some have been released and some have not.

Evidence

"We have taken up this case because some solid evidence has been presented to us which leads us to believe that Simon's case is within our remit.

"That is that an EU citizen has been arrested abroad and he claims that the charges against him are unfounded. Our assessment is that Simon's claims have merit.

"Here we even have photographic evidence. We have been told they have declined to look at that evidence. If they have looked at it then they have not taken the right steps as a result," she added.

Mr Chapman's parents, Jackie and Brian, said they were concerned for their son's mental and physical health and confirmed they were taking legal advice to investigate which police officers were involved in his arrest.

"The evidence, taken from live coverage from ET3, must be taken into account.

"Simon has never been and is not now a violent person and is completely innocent of these charges."

A spokesman for the Greek embassy in London said: "It is a judicial issue and the courts will decide on him and the other six who were arrested." Asked about the video footage, he added: "I have seen it but I can't comment."