NAZISM ACQUITTED DEMOCRATS PUT ON TRIAL

Following the acquittal of nazi K. Plevris from the Court of Appeal of Athens on March 2009, the public prosecutor’s office pressed charges against the three members of Antinazi Initiative who were witnesses for the prosecutions at Plevris’ trial! The prosecution was initiated after a complaint made by K. Plevris against the three members of ANI (A. Stai, I. Koutelou, L. Katsiapis) for “dissemination of false news”. The trial was set for April 12, 2010 (as we were informed by the Greek Helsinki Monitor). According to the accusation act the supposedly “false news” hurt the credibility of justice and “provoke unrest to citizens”.
During the Plevris trial the Antinazi Initiative had denounced through announcements that specific judges (L. Lazarakos, P. Matzounis and M. Pagouteli) defended the nazi and expressed unprecedented antisemitic and pro-nazi positions. Our criticism against these judges were true and not “false news” based on their own positions as expressed during the trial as well as on their own texts!
What hurts the credibility of Greek justice is the function of judges holding anti-Semitic stance who defend and acquit Nazis. And this is what makes citizens unrest.
This provocative prosecution against ANI will become boomerang against its instigators, who have made a nazi the defender of the credibility of the Greek justice and have turned against democracy.
We invite the citizens to take a stand in support of Antinazi Initiative, in order to deter this major attempt of intimidation of democrats and – which is worst – of fascistization of justice. If this attempt is justified through the conviction of ANI, the whole political and social life of the country will have entered a very dangerous orbit.

Athens, February 26, 2010