1. Aspiotis’ lawyer comments on the torture his client endured in prison
2. Tameio-Athens statement on the assault of Panayotis Aspiotis
Today, Saturday Feb 6th, at 6:30 in the morning, counter-terrorism units intruded the D section of Korydallos prison, in order to remove our fellow prisoner Fabio Dusco, who was brought here the day before from Trikala Prison in order to be present at his trial which commences on the 15th of February. Fabio faces charges as a member of the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire for an attempt to escape from prison.
After his kidnap by the counter-terrorism officers he was taken to the Removal Centre on Petrou Ralli street where he is expected to remain for as long as the trial lasts, which could take months. All of these have happened during an ongoing organizing in Korydallos prison against the authoritarian regime of the prison management and the squalid conditions of detention.
Most importantly, these are happening during a left-wing administration which has shown complete disregard for prisoners’ issues and the rest of the problems faced by society. These are the same people who promised prison reform and improvement in conditions of detention. These are the same people who promised to abolish special conditions of detention.
In the end it seems that even the abolition of Type C prisons was in effect only on paper (this was also the only promise that was apparently kept by the government). Because if the Ministry of Justice is not responsible for the abduction of our fellow prisoner, then who is? Would it be the police and the counter-terrorism units who made this prison their stomping ground by intruding to conduct searches at any time, or would it be the prison management itself that turns away unwanted prisoners? Are going to witness once again the representatives of the two ministries blaming each other so that the whole issue could be forgotten?
We can all identify with our fellow prisoner, because it might have been him today but tomorrow it could be any of us who gets arbitrarily labelled dangerous and unwanted.
This is why prisoners in sections A and D staged a protest today by remaining outside in the yard after the scheduled prison lock-up (17:10-18:10). We demand the abolition of any special conditions of detention and the return of our fellow prisoner back to Korydallos prison.
P.S. While our protest was in progress, our worst fears were confirmed in the worst possible way…
Our fellow prisoner Panayotis Aspiotos was going to be transferred to Korydallos from Nauplio for his interrogation on Monday 8th of February. Instead, he was also taken to the Removal Centre, he was isolated from other prisoners and was led to an area with no cctv where he was assaulted by counter terrorism officers in balaclavas who attempted to violently (and currently illegally) get a sample of his DNA. Our fellow prisoner resisted and as a result he was hit multiple times on the head and his entire body. He remains seriously injured inside the Removal Centre until now.
We demand his immediate transfer to Korydallos Prison and a public explanation from the Minister of Justice for everything these prisoners were subjected to during the past few days.
Prisoners’ Initiative