BRITISH MAN ON HUNGER STRIKE IN GREEK PRISON CONDITION OF HUNGERSTRIKERS CRITICAL - 3 NOW TRANSFERED TO NICKEAS HOSPITAL
DOCTORS ISSUE PRESS STATEMENT IN ATHENS
DOCTORS ISSUE PRESS STATEMENT IN ATHENS
Last night two more of the Thessaloniki hungerstrikers
were transfered to a hospital in Athens because of
their deteriorating health. They are Carlos Martinez
and Spiros Tsitsas, who are Spanish and Greek and have
been on hungerstrike since October 5th and October
8th, respectively.
They join Fernando Perez, also from Spain, who was
taken to Nikeas hospital as soon as the five
hungerstrikers were transfered to Athens from jail in
Thessaloniki. Simon Chapman, from Britain, and
Suleiman "Kastro" Dakduk, a Syrian exile living in
Crete, remain in maximum security Koridallos prison.
Fernando and Simon have been refusing food since
October 5th, while Kastro has been on hungerstrike
since September 21st, two weeks longer than the
others.
The independent medical team which is monitoring their
health is very worried. They have just released a
report on the prisoners' health, which can be view in
full at
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=158480.
Quoting from the report, the doctors say, "Having in
mind that all five of the hunger- strikers have low
levels of White Blood Cells (denoting weak immune
system), they are very liable in inflammations, which
can be fatal for their lives.
"The prevention of these possibilities depends only on
the Juridical Authorities, which can take action in
spirit of justice, magnanimity, breadth of views and,
above all, humanism. As doctors we appeal to the
Juridical Authorities for their interference and for
them to secure the life and health of the hunger
strikers who are in custody."
Last Thursday, the prisoners' lawyers filed a fourth
bail appeal, on humanitarian grounds. It is hoped that
the courts will respond quickly to this in order to
prevent further, perhaps irreperable, damage to the
health of the hungerstrikers. The judge in charge of
the case has so far refused to watch widely-circulated
video evidence that clearly proves that at least one
of the prisoners, Simon Chapman, was 'fitted-up' by
police and forced to carry a bag, which wasn't his,
containing petrol bombs and other weapons. Photos from
Reuters and AP back up this claim.
Baroness Sarah Ludford, MEP, has written to Foreign
Secretary Jack Straw to urge him to intervene and
safeguard the rights of British citizen Simon Chapman.
She says, "It is my view that the British Government
should do all it can to ensure that Simon Chapman is
receiving an acceptable standard of treatment and
medical attention from the Greek authorities and is
not being mistreated in any way. With such doubt over
the integrity of his arrest and given his current
state of ill heath, we should do all we can to ensure
that he is granted bail immediately."
ENDS
Notes:
For interviews with English speakers in Greece:
Simon Chapman's lawyer : 0030 6977345971
Simon's girlfriend : 0030 6944544055
Support campaign in London
Charley : 07970113770
Koridallos prison:
Mr Stakias : 0030 2107772811
Video footage screened on Greek national news proving
Simon's innocence available on
http://www.freesimonchapman.org/
Background information on Simon Chapman's arrest:
Simon was arrested on Saturday June 21st at the
anti-EU demonstration in Thessaloniki, Greece. He was
by the anti-authoritarian block march which left the
occupied university at around 5.00pm. Initial scuffles
broke out between the police and part of the march
with the police responding with hundreds of cannisters
of CS gas and other chemical weapons. Simon was caught
up in this attack by the police and was overcome by
teargas. A police snatch squad then went for simon and
proceeded to kick him in the head and face repeatedly.
At this point Simon was wearing a distinctive blue and
purple rucksack as a photo taken by Reuters shows. His
bag was subsequently taken by undercover police who
proceeded to place three black rucksacks of molotov
cocktails near him as a photo taken by AP shows. In
addition to this evidence, a film footage moments
after the initial contact with the police shows
clearly undercover police placing the bags full of
molotovs near Simon as well as placing a hammer and
pickaxe handle in the bags. The Greek authorities
claim that Simons blue and purple rucksack does not
exist.
As it stands Simon and six others are temporarily
imprisoned and charged with resisting authority,
construction and possession of molotovs, arson,
serious damage to property and riot which could
theoretically mean a prison sentence of between 7 and
25 years. Their cases could take up to 18 months to
come to trial. All seven have so far had 3 bail
appeals rejected by the prosecutor, who has refused to
look at the video and photographic evidence.
At the time of writing all 7 prisoners remain in
prison on hunger strike. Their demands are: bail for
all seven, and that one of the prisoners, Suleiman
"Kastro" Dakduk - a Syrian who has been living in
exile in Crete for 18 years, and who is now threatened
with deportation back to Syria where he faces torture
and imprisonment for trade union activity - be allowed
to remain in Greece.
were transfered to a hospital in Athens because of
their deteriorating health. They are Carlos Martinez
and Spiros Tsitsas, who are Spanish and Greek and have
been on hungerstrike since October 5th and October
8th, respectively.
They join Fernando Perez, also from Spain, who was
taken to Nikeas hospital as soon as the five
hungerstrikers were transfered to Athens from jail in
Thessaloniki. Simon Chapman, from Britain, and
Suleiman "Kastro" Dakduk, a Syrian exile living in
Crete, remain in maximum security Koridallos prison.
Fernando and Simon have been refusing food since
October 5th, while Kastro has been on hungerstrike
since September 21st, two weeks longer than the
others.
The independent medical team which is monitoring their
health is very worried. They have just released a
report on the prisoners' health, which can be view in
full at
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=158480. Quoting from the report, the doctors say, "Having in
mind that all five of the hunger- strikers have low
levels of White Blood Cells (denoting weak immune
system), they are very liable in inflammations, which
can be fatal for their lives.
"The prevention of these possibilities depends only on
the Juridical Authorities, which can take action in
spirit of justice, magnanimity, breadth of views and,
above all, humanism. As doctors we appeal to the
Juridical Authorities for their interference and for
them to secure the life and health of the hunger
strikers who are in custody."
Last Thursday, the prisoners' lawyers filed a fourth
bail appeal, on humanitarian grounds. It is hoped that
the courts will respond quickly to this in order to
prevent further, perhaps irreperable, damage to the
health of the hungerstrikers. The judge in charge of
the case has so far refused to watch widely-circulated
video evidence that clearly proves that at least one
of the prisoners, Simon Chapman, was 'fitted-up' by
police and forced to carry a bag, which wasn't his,
containing petrol bombs and other weapons. Photos from
Reuters and AP back up this claim.
Baroness Sarah Ludford, MEP, has written to Foreign
Secretary Jack Straw to urge him to intervene and
safeguard the rights of British citizen Simon Chapman.
She says, "It is my view that the British Government
should do all it can to ensure that Simon Chapman is
receiving an acceptable standard of treatment and
medical attention from the Greek authorities and is
not being mistreated in any way. With such doubt over
the integrity of his arrest and given his current
state of ill heath, we should do all we can to ensure
that he is granted bail immediately."
ENDS
Notes:
For interviews with English speakers in Greece:
Simon Chapman's lawyer : 0030 6977345971
Simon's girlfriend : 0030 6944544055
Support campaign in London
Charley : 07970113770
Koridallos prison:
Mr Stakias : 0030 2107772811
Video footage screened on Greek national news proving
Simon's innocence available on
http://www.freesimonchapman.org/ Background information on Simon Chapman's arrest:
Simon was arrested on Saturday June 21st at the
anti-EU demonstration in Thessaloniki, Greece. He was
by the anti-authoritarian block march which left the
occupied university at around 5.00pm. Initial scuffles
broke out between the police and part of the march
with the police responding with hundreds of cannisters
of CS gas and other chemical weapons. Simon was caught
up in this attack by the police and was overcome by
teargas. A police snatch squad then went for simon and
proceeded to kick him in the head and face repeatedly.
At this point Simon was wearing a distinctive blue and
purple rucksack as a photo taken by Reuters shows. His
bag was subsequently taken by undercover police who
proceeded to place three black rucksacks of molotov
cocktails near him as a photo taken by AP shows. In
addition to this evidence, a film footage moments
after the initial contact with the police shows
clearly undercover police placing the bags full of
molotovs near Simon as well as placing a hammer and
pickaxe handle in the bags. The Greek authorities
claim that Simons blue and purple rucksack does not
exist.
As it stands Simon and six others are temporarily
imprisoned and charged with resisting authority,
construction and possession of molotovs, arson,
serious damage to property and riot which could
theoretically mean a prison sentence of between 7 and
25 years. Their cases could take up to 18 months to
come to trial. All seven have so far had 3 bail
appeals rejected by the prosecutor, who has refused to
look at the video and photographic evidence.
At the time of writing all 7 prisoners remain in
prison on hunger strike. Their demands are: bail for
all seven, and that one of the prisoners, Suleiman
"Kastro" Dakduk - a Syrian who has been living in
exile in Crete for 18 years, and who is now threatened
with deportation back to Syria where he faces torture
and imprisonment for trade union activity - be allowed
to remain in Greece.
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