LETTER FROM IMPRISONED COMRADE VAGGELIS STATHOPOULOS
“Mixing me up in the Revolutionary Struggle case is a consequence of my political convictions. I do not condemn any type or method of struggle. My political activity has always taken place in broad daylight.” 12/4/10 Greece
From 10/4/2010 I am accused, together with comrades that I know through my journey in social struggles, by the infamous antiterrorist in regime of violence and psychological war.
My arrest was made like in the movies in Viktwria area by 10-15 people aiming their guns on me, while in fear of any reaction on my part they also mobilized the special forces in the surrounding area. Heavily armed against unarmed.
Of course it wasnt hard to immediately recognize them because of the experience I have gained over the years from the usual followings and harassements that I had at my father’s house in Nikaia as well the house I stayed at in Peukakia. So I didn’t give any importance to it considering it another usual scare tactic of the authorities to cut off the antiregime action of the fighters.
A tactic known and used constantly by the opressive mechanisms of the ruling class, especially in times of social unrest. I did not know obviously what the authorities had cooked me up yet another time.
I, along with other comrades, have been in the dock of the ridiculous courts of the anthropoids of the State many times, without evidence or with made up accusations and methods.
In all these cases I was found innocent since even the cops couldn’t back up their own stories.
I stayed waiting for trial and was controlled by the authorities for seven years. Seven years of constant surveillance in an attempt to stigmatise my action, criminalising my personal relations, my ideas and my political opinions which I have freely expressed openly many times.
And here’s one more time. I’m an anarchist and I fight with all my power for the social revolution. After my arrest and after I met the “cool guys” of the antiterrorism they took me to the “kitchen of stupidity”, the 12th floor of g.a.d.a. [Athens police headquarters], there where at one office they check your details and you leave the next one with made up heavy charges. The “cool guys”, problably taught by their colleagues, the torturers of the junta, beat me and other comrades while our hands were still in cuffs while the swearing and the threats kept the rythm. Then I experienced the simple procedure, by the interrogators and prosecutors, the cop method and my life was wrapped in a piece of some official document, my case was tied up and imprisoned in Trikala prisons.
Its not at all accidental that they chose E wing for my “stay”, since it’s the most controlled.
I don’t have to mention with detail the disgusting living conditions in the “modern” hellholes of democracy.
All I have to say is that water cuts are a something more than a usual thing [many thanks to Themis constructors]!!! It’s a constant tactic of the State with the media as its allie, to defame and criminalise the social stuggles and also the personal relationships of the fighters. And its not the first time something like this has happened but this time I felt under my skin this incredible brutality, that has as its purpose to criminalize my life, by slandering not only me and my actions, but also my comrades, friends and family and the whole subversive movement which I actively participate in.
In this attempt my house is baptised a “safe house” and a small fence of straw, which was there when I got there, was enough to transform my personal space into a dangerous base of operations.
The fact that nothing was found in this house I guess means nothing!!! The continuous fake leaks and the vulgar misinformation was added to this cannibalism, revealing once more the vengeful mania of the mechanisms and the journalists against every resistanse.
And this is just one aspect of the organised violence of the mechanisms and the lawful crimes of the state and the bosses in our lives.
Naturally, neither the penalization of the struggles, neither the criminalisation of those who deny that the regime is something new and unusual.
All those who fight know it well by now. Besides, even if someone gets arrested for sticking up a poster he’s persecuted for pollution and not for their subversive ideas, which is the substance of their prosecution. Towards the fairytale of legality, and the made up limits of innocence and guilty, I declare myself an enemy of the regime and unrepentant adversary of the state and capital. Besides, my statement to the interrogator that “I do not renounce any form of struggle against state and authority” is the only reason why I’m in prison and not their made up charges. If they expected statements of repentance and loyalty from me they thought wrong.
In my life I havent learned to crawl left and right like a snitch and informer, I havent learned to betray my friends and comrades, to abandon them, to denounce them in front of my persecutors to save my save myself. In my life I’ve learned to keep my head up high, to be a proud person and not to crawl even if that has a cost. If some people have learned to live like that, I really feel ashamed for them.
In this economic situation where the bankrupt Greek state under the umbrella of the I.M.F. trys to terrorise and supress every subversive attempt afraid of the “Decembers” that will come, it is our duty to fight for its total inversion.
I will continue to fight against the policing and control over our lives, for the destruction of prisons. For the social revolution and for freedom. Because in this life freedom is not given to you, you fight for it and win it.
TERRORISTS CRIMINALS AND ROBBERS
ARE THE STATE AND CAPITAL
HONOUR TO ARMED GUERILLA LAMBROS FOUNTAS
FREEDOM TO ALL THE COMRADES THAT ARE IN JAIL FOR THEIR SUBVERSIVE ACTIONS
VAGGELIS STATHOPOULOS
TRIKALA PRISON 10/5/2010
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We the tenebrous, we the terrorists (About the arson attack against fighters on June 7th)
from contrainfo
Targeted attack with double recipient
On June 7th, at 4.30 after midnight an arson attack was acted out against my mother’s car that I drove lately, since the police refuses to return my vehicleafter 14 months, which is held on the pretext of investigation. Along with my mother’s private car, a targeted attack took place against the motorcycle of my childhood friend and comrade who had the misfortune that I let the car to him for a few days.
The attack came shortly before dawn, just below my friend’s house which is only a block away from the police station of the neighbourhood. Specifically, a black car, Jeep type with tinted windows and no plates (reminds you of something?) stopped alongside the narrow street, where the co-driver got down and threw a large quantity of flammable liquid on both vehicles, having ensured to place rags soaked in flammable liquid at the headlight of the motorcycle while he left a large jerry can on the roof of my mother’s car.
This resulted in the burning down of both vehicles, whereas the great fire and the high heat caused also damage to a neighbour’s private car that was parked about four metres away. Needless to say that the police appeared at least ten minutes after the incident —although the multi-force police station of Nikaia is located only 50 metres afar.
It should be mentioned here that when my mother and my friend went to file a charge against persons unknown, the police department of Nikaia declined toregister any complaint, and stated that the incident did not take place in its jurisdiction.
This arson attack had two recipients. On the one hand, it is a blow which aimed to terrorize the struggles and the fighters; on the other hand, it aimed to intimidate directly me and my close relatives and friends, in order to decline any resistance. They believe that this will be possible by isolating and terrorizing anyone who stands by my side. When this becomes unfeasible, the mechanisms’ vindictive fury reveals itself in all its glory.
At this point, I should add that I have been consistently harassed both in the past and the present via close watch over while there were threats against me but also against my intimate and social circle. In particular, this friend of mine has been systematically monitored, and they did not hesitate to threaten him that they will charge him with the heaviest accusations and to ultimately proceed to an arson attack below his house, where he lives with his partner and his only 2.5 year old child.
A man who pays the price of a childhood friendship and the comradeship that he showed while I was imprisoned.
Now draw your own conclusions.
Because I will not stop speaking out and resisting against the State and the mechanisms of organized violence, I declare them responsible for what shall happen to me, my family, my friends and my comrades.
The terrorism has not passed neither will pass.
Vaggelis Stathopoulos
Denouncement of the arson attack by G.Ch.
Before starting this denouncement, I wish to clarify that I am associated through childhood friendship with Vaggelis Stathopoulos whom they have tried to associate with the organization of the Revolutionary Struggle —with his comradely relations and his subversive action being their sole ‘evidence.’
For this reason, more than one year I’ve been under close observation in such a way that refers more to bullying rather than a hidden surveillance. I have been clearly threatened by the police in numerous occasions. I have been stopped in some demonstrations/gatherings, and have been told to either stop attending these, otherwise, legal proceedings or they will frame me up with heavy charges.
I have received ‘friendly’ recommendations even for wearing black clothes. Although I’ve been systematically monitored, this surveillance stopped ‘incidentally’ for 3–4 days.
All of a sudden, on the same day that Vaggelis let the car to me I stopped seeing policemen at the corners of my street. On Tuesday, June 7th, at 4.30am I heard from the first floor, in the apartment where I live, liquids flowing as if someone were emptying a bucket of water sequentially on the street. Within a few seconds, I saw from the living room of my home a huge flash that turned the night into day.
I got out to the balcony where I saw my motorbike and the car of my friend’s mother on fire. At the same time, in the nearby street I saw a black car, Jeep type with tinted windows and no plates; the driver yelled ‘quick! — quick!’ and a guy entered this vehicle right before they speed away.
Strangely enough, the multi-force police department of Nikaia which is just a street block away from my house, acted as if nothing had happened; policemen finally appeared about ten minutes later. When the fire truck arrived – thirty minutes later – both vehicles were entirely burnt. During the incident, the neighbours and I were trying unsuccessfully to extinguish the fire by using four hoses.
The arson and the subsequent big fire also damaged the rear cabin of a neighbor’s car which was parked at least four metres from the vehicles ablaze.
While the neighbours and I were striving to put out the fire so as to not extend further and the car of my friend’s mother along with my motorbike was completely destroyed, the police officers started to ask questions related to the arson. My answer was: ‘ask your Service; they know better.’
The next day, after I had already testified to the fire department, I went to the police station of Nikaia with my friend’s mother to file a charge against persons unknown where they told us that they had no jurisdiction on this matter.
For me it is a clear message with multiple recipients. It’s enough to say that I have no personal disputes with no one. I lead a peaceful day to day life and I live with my partner and my 2.5 year old child, for whom I am worried.
G.Ch.
