Athens: Update regarding 23-years-old anarchist Andreas-Dimitris Bourzoukos, one of the four comrades arrested on 1.2.2013, accused in bank robbery case

‘Robbers are the States and the bosses; criminals are the cops and judges; villains are you, the uninvolved citizens; all of you are murderers of freedom’ (painted slogan in the city of Veria, northern Greece)

After solidarians contacted the parents of Andreas-Dimitris Bourzoukos, we want to inform you about the following:

All the arrestees have been transferred (from Kozani) to the Athens police headquarters (GADA) since Saturday late evening, February 2nd.

In the morning of Sunday, February 3rd, the parents were able to get in contact with their children, as did their defense lawyers. Until then, the police denied all respective requests repeatedly.

The parents were allowed to visit the arrestees only for 15 minutes at the 12th floor of the Athens police headquarters.

Specifically, Andreas-Dimitris Bourzoukos was handcuffed to a chair during the whole time of the visitation.

He has informed us that, while he was handcuffed with his hands behind the back in the detention cells of the Veria police department, the cops placed a hood on his face, forced him to kneel down and beat him for approximately four hours on his head, his face and his stomach, and some of his hair was pulled out by force. This happened without any resistance from his part. It goes without saying that the cops also threatened him the whole time and insulted him in the most vulgar way.

The consequences of the aforementioned tortures were the following: blood in the urine, severe dizziness, headaches, edemas on his whole face, hematomas on both eyes, as well as bruises and ecchymoses everywhere on his body.

His parents report that his face was unrecognizable and his voice was altered from all the beatings at his jawbone.

During these three days, he was only permitted to drink bottled water, while his parents were not allowed to give him packaged food staples and fruit juices.

All of the above facts are not disclosed in order to victimize any of the arrestees, but in order to highlight the tortures and violence which are practiced ‘legally’ by the state apparatuses.

Despite everything, Andreas-Dimitris Bourzoukos holds strong and dignified, and his morale remains steadfast.

Strength to the arrested comrades. We will try to share more updates soon.

There is also an open letter of Pantelia Vergopoulou, mother of Andreas-Dimitris Bourzoukos, who unequivocally denounces the tortures against the four comrades and states, among others, the following:

‘The prosecution mechanisms in Greece follow the torture-related standards of the Guantanamo prisons. My son, just like the three other arrestees, was not treated like any other accused of criminal code offenses, but with particular hatred because he is an anarchist. At the same time, their torturers hidden behind hoods remain untouchable.

Until when?

[…] Finally, being a doctor myself (specialized in pre-hospital emergency medicine), I report that the first hours following traumas are critical for potential brain injuries and further lesions. The high necessity for immediate examination and hospital care refers to all arrestees who have been abused.

I hold those who are in charge of the case primarily responsible for any damage that may be caused.’