New sentences for anti-auctionists

Despite a prosecutor's proposal to the contrary, the Athens Court of First Instance yesterday convicted nine of the 13 citizens who were arrested in November 2017 during a protest against the auctions and yesterday found guilty of disturbing the peace.

Among those convicted – Panagiotis Lafazanis, who was again sentenced to 18 months of probation in January when the court again did not accept the prosecution's recommendation.

The former minister argues in Eph.Syn. that this is a brutal and cynical political persecution unprecedented in the post-communist era, citing extreme authoritarianism and emphasizing that prosecutors offered to acquit the accused in both cases. However, the three-judge court decided to reject the guilty recommendations.”

“It is obvious that we have an orderly composition, which, by order from above, is aimed at specific criminalization, which concerns not only auctions. It concerns any manifestation of social resistance. The criminalization and imprisonment of the former minister shows that the government will not show mercy and will not pay attention to any what to do to impose their authoritarian power. The tragedy for the country is that while huge political crimes have occurred, we have political tragedies with obvious political responsibility, we have the sale of the country, we have unprecedented banking scandals. The banks are not paying taxes and are behind the fund scandal that is trying to loot the first house and end home ownership in Greece. This is complete colonization and that is why they need criminal prosecutions to indicate resistance to all this at the highest level.”

“If I were a fanatical supporter of Zelensky in the war in Ukraine, You can be sure that no punishment would have been imposed on me. My justification would be self-evident. The government and Western political establishment are captives of the pro-war West, which is leading Europe to destruction and devastation. But never before have authoritarianism and judicial coups, the criminalization of political life, the persecution of real political opponents – not those who challenge the government – supported an illegitimate, sinful and vicious government, and this will soon come to an end. And this end will be painful for those characters who, unfortunately, have played this dirty and treacherous role over the past few years. Let's not forget that the persecution against me was launched by the Tsipras government. They dragged me to court” – he claims.

Three more campaigners who took part in the mobilization against electronic auctions in March 2018 will be tried today for their actions in the anti-auction movement. Among them is a member of the United Initiative against Auctions, who is calling a meeting this morning at the Evelpidon court (building 9, hall 4), emphasizing that, “despite the arbitrary and consistent vindictive persecution, they will not frighten us.”

MAT and police officers then beat the protesters, arrested three people, and began throwing chemicals at them. The footage shows uniformed police punching, kicking and assaulting civilians.

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