Greece: Heavy sentences for demonstrators against EU summit 2003

But in Thessalonica there were massive protests and there were fierce
battles between police and demonstrators (see pictures here:
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=122418).

Many people were arrested, and some were kept prisoner for a long
time, even up to 5 months on the basis of severe accusations such as
the possession of ‘explosives’. At some of the confrontations with
the police molotov cocktails were flying around, hence the
accusation.

Some of the arrested went into a long hunger strike and were released
awaiting the court case. Also it became clear that the police (just
like with the protests against the G8 in Genoa in 2001) had been
manipulating evidence (see links in this message, Dutch:
http://www.globalinfo.nl/content/view/275/30/). See this video-
footage for instance: http://www.nodo50.org/Salonica-2003-Video-que-
demuestra.html

The court case against the 7 started on May 7 and on the 28th the
sentences were declared. These are very dramatic: Sulaiman Dakduk
(Kastro) was sentenced to 7 years in prison, as was Michalis
Traikapis Simon Chapman was sentenced to 8 years and six months. All
for amongst others the possession and/or use of ‘explosives’.
Fernando Perez was sentenced to 5 years and 6 months. Three other
persecuted persons (Spiros Tsitsas, Dimitris Fliouras and Epaminontas
Vasilias) were acquitted. The four persons who were sentenced will
stay free for the time awaiting their appeal.

The court case did not get much coverage in activist media. A Spanish
coverage of the court case can be found here:
http://diariodevurgos.com/dvwps/sentencia-para-los-acusados-en-el-
proceso-salonica.php#more-1546

The original in Dutch: http://www.globalinfo.nl/content/view/1573/1