For the restauration of truth and justice in Greek society
THE GHOST OF THE "JUNTA" STRIKES THE AUTONOMOUS WORKERS’ MOVEMENT - YANNIS SERIFIS IS ONCE MORE A HOSTAGE OF STATE TERRORISM
On 27 October the Greek state arrested the fighter for social justice, Yannis
Serifis, and sent him to the new "white-cells" of Korydallos prison. Serifis
is 63 years old and is known in Greece as an anti-authoritarian trade union
militant who, during the past 35 years, has taken part in many struggles, mainly
in the name of the autonomous working-class movement.
The magistrates ordered his detention, on the basis of the false claim that
he had confessed to the offences of "participation in a terrorist group" and
"secret possession of weaponry". Following the announcement of the decision,
demonstrators in solidarity with Serifis - members of leftist groups, members
of the "Coalition Against State Terrorism" and anarchists - came into conflict
with the police and one demonstrator was arrested.
In a written declaration distributed before entering the court Yannis Serifis
says:-
Throughout my case, the authorities have tried to cast aspersions against all
those who took part in the resistance against the military junta (1967-74),
and who - instead of selling out - have chosen to continue to resist. Their
real target is the growing autonomous class movement. They want to hinder and
attack the revolutionary left and the anti-authoritarian and anarchist movements.
Yannis Serifis must not stand alone against state repression!
This is not the first time Serifis has suffered from state repression. This
time the authorities want him to confess to their false allegations that he
has participated in the organisation known as "Revolutionary Organisation 17th
November" ("17N"). The only evidence against him is that he was mentioned in
testimonies of arrested suspects of the "17N".
Years ago, Serifis was accused of attempted sabotage against the AEG factory,
and of killing Christos Kasimis. He was found innocent of these charges; and
at that time there was a strong movement of solidarity with him. Serifis is,
above all, a social fighter. He resists, and speaks out against, the abuse of
authority, and publicly declares his belief in freedom.
Only those who hide their true intentions behind authority and violence can
be afraid of the truth. Such people are behind the well-organised state attempts
to frame social fighters such as Yannis Serifis. They are also behind the growing
suppression recently of social movements in Greece, which, in turn, relates
to US President Bush’s so-called ‘war against terrorism’.
If you want to stand by the side of the social fighter Yannis Serifis, and
to act against his unfair imprisonment, please sign our petition:
http://www.yserifis.org/solidarity.php
The signatures will be used in the campaign for Serifis’s release and for the
abolition of the "anti-terrorist" law, which gives the power to the authorities
to carry out such inhuman actions.
In his October 2002 statement, Serifis made his own appeal as follows:-
My persecution has a long history and many false accusations against me in the
past have been brought up again in relation to my alleged participation in the
organisation known as "17th November", and other organisations that have been
in the news.
I WOULD LIKE ONCE AGAIN TO STATE UNEQUIVOCALLY THAT I HAVE NO RELATIONSHIP WITH
THESE ORGANISATIONS, AND THAT THEY ARE NO CONCERN OF MINE BECAUSE THEY ARE IRRELEVANT
TO MY POLITICAL BELIEFS, AND TO THE LOGIC UNDERLYING MY ACTIONS.
I have been an industrial worker for more than 40 years. My political statements
and activity have always been open, and within the context of the mass syndicalist
movement. I have taken an active part in the development of a principled and
uncompromising autonomous working-class movement.
I am aware that, for 35 years, I have been targeted by those controlling the
machinery of persecution and repression in my country. This has been the case
even while I was for many years an emigrant abroad.
During the 7-year military dictatorship, I was twice sentenced in absentia for
my participation in the resistance organisation "Movement of 20th October".
My personal persecutors were well known in Greece: Hatzizisis, Adamopoulos,
Karathanasis and others.
On the arrival of the post-military government in 1977 I was arrested for "participation
in an attempted bombing action" in the AEG factory, where I had been working
- but was fired after a 77-day strike. In the armed conflict that took place
in AEG the same day, Christos Kasimis was murdered in cold blood. I was also
accused of that. After 15 months in custody I was declared innocent and released
in an atmosphere of mass celebration.
Now the third round is coming. They want me accused of being the main recruiter
and administrator of all the armed organisations and groups in Greece. They
pretend they don’t know that, from 1977 onwards, my family and I have been under
close surveillance. The authorities know every step we take, every move we have
ever made. Yet they have found no proof of anything illegal against me - for
the simple reason that there isn’t any. They will never find any, no matter
how many "hideouts with arms" they have or will discover, because I have never
been at any of them.
So they are driven to rely on the "testimonies" of other people they have accused.
No one knows under what circumstances these testimonies were taken, or even
if they were taken at all. But they have been used to fabricate charges against
me.
I do not think it is accidental that, at the same time as the American FBI and
CIA opened their doors to the Greek Minister of Public Order, the state interrogator’s
door was opened to an industrial worker of 40 years standing, and one who has
been under surveillance for 35 years of those years.
NO MORE! I DON’T WANT THEM TO BOTHER ME ANY MORE.
But why me?
· They want to be rid of me and my family because of my disobedience to the
bosses’ orders;
· by attacking me, they want to intimidate all those who played a part in the
struggle against the "Junta" and, refusing to sell out, have continued with
their resistance to injustice since it fell;
· they want to strike a blow against the development of an autonomous working-class
movement;
· they want to hinder and silence the revolutionary left, the anti-authoritarian
and anarchist movements.
My plea to all my persecutors and those who slander me is to have me arrested
and tried for what I really am, and not for what they want me to be.
The working class, in which I belong, and with which I have struggled all these
years for the abolition of every social injustice, is now being told to accept
the "reality" of the universal dominion of the "global new order". The only
thing we have left is to answer with irreconcilable, uniting class struggles.
Yannis Serifis
27.10.2002
http://www.yserifis.org
source: http://www.de.indymedia.org/2002/11/34484.shtml