Greece: Communiqué of political prisoners who abstain from prison food in solidarity with anarchist Stella Antoniou

The last two years, the number of political prisoners in the prisons of the Greek State has increased rapidly, while dozens of activists of all tendencies have been arrested, accused either for participation in the revolutionary organizations that were active in the previous period, or for their general anti-systemic action.

One of those is Stella Antoniou, who was arrested on December 4th, 2010. The anarchist comrade was already facing a serious health problem, which has dangerously worsened during the last year of her incarceration. On January 4th, 2012, she will submit an application for release from prison, in order to receive the appropriate medical care before her condition becomes irreversible.

As a minimum act of solidarity, we have started from today, December 30th, 2011, an abstention from prison meals, which will last until the date of her application submission for release —on January 4th, 2012.

Polykarpos Georgiadis, Giannis Dimitrakis, Giorgos Karagiannidis, Konstantina Karakatsani, Kostas Katsenos, Christos Kolentinis, Dimitris Koufontinas, Alexandros Mitroussias, Kostas Sakkas, Rami Syrianos, Dimitris Fessas

Due to delayed communication, the comrade Simos Seisidis is not able to participate in the abstention, but he supports the protest action.

Also, Stella Antoniou abstains from prison food.

Source: athens.indymedia.org

Other inmates of the 2nd wing of Corfu prisons who abstain from prison food are: Stamatis Achtsalotidis, Theofilos Lazarakis, Alexandér Bani, Christos Loupa, Michalis Devenes (along with Polykarpos Georgiadis who co-signs the above statement).

Hour by hour, there are more declarations of abstention from prison food in solidarity with Stella Antoniou. In particular, the anarchist prisoners of war Giannis Skouloudis, Sokratis Tzifkas, Dimitris Dimtsiadis and Babis Tsilianidis explain in their communiqué:

[…] On January 4th a hearing will be held regarding a new application for release submitted by the comrade Stella Antoniou, who is already one year under pre-trial detention in Koridallos women’s prisons. We want to make clear that we stand on the side of Stella and we claim her immediate release from prison, therefore we will abstain from prison meals from December 30th to January 4th. On the same day (4/1) the members of the R.O. Conspiracy of Cells of Fire Damiano Bolano, Gerasimos Tsakalos, Christos Tsakalos, Michalis Nikolopoulos, Giorgos Nikolopoulos, Giorgos Polidoros, Olga Ekonomidou, Haris Hadjimihelakis, Panagiotis Argirou, as well as the anarchists Giorgos Karagiannidis, Alexandros Mitroussias, Kostas Sakkas, Christos Politis and Dimitris Michail are called to appear before the Appellate Judges Council [of Athens] in order to be decided who and on what charges will be brought to trial in relation to the arrests of December 4th, 2010, and the incendiary parcels sent to European Union organizations and foreign embassies. […]

Sources: 1, 2