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Drie kameraden gearresteerd in Griekenalnd
ABC-Amsterdam - 24.08.2008 16:21
A group of people is arrested because of a big kidnapping case two months ago.
On 20th of august 4 people got arrested in Greece on the accusation kidnapping with a large ransom being paid. The people arrested are Polikarpos Georgiadis, Vasilis Palaiokostas, Vagelis Hrisohoides and one other, of whom the rest of the group has taken distance from because of his behaviour. On the 21st 4 other people got arrested for also playing a smaller role in the kidnapping. The person being kidnapped some months ago concerns the president of the union for heavy industry owners (employers syndicate) Georgos Mylonas, who not long ago caused some fuss over his sayings about working harder and longer in the factories. He was released after sum of 10 million euro's was paid, arranged by his wife. Media and police claim this money was meant for freeing Vasilis' brother from prison; Nikos Palaiokostas. Pictures in the bourgeois press show the large variety of ammunition, Kalashnikovs, an RPG, explosive devices, bulletproof vests and fire brigade uniforms that were found at the arrest. Stories of the amount of money being found back change every day. Police says that a big part of the coupons were marked and at about 150 different places they found them back.
The history and traditions of Vagelis, Vasilis and Polikarpos in this case, but also of many other strikes against the exploitation and slavery of people, is important for the context of this kidnapping and social rebellion in general reality. Polikarpos and Vagelis are dear comrades in the anarchist scene since many years and have been very active. Polikarpos was sent to prison before on the 16th of April 2004, accused for attempted arson with an ignitable device against the vehicle of a private security company. The police tried to charge him with attempted arson and the possession of explosive devices, but could not proof anything. He stayed in pre-detention for one year and was found guilty anyway. He got out for having served already the one year prison sentence he finally got. During his time in prison he got to know Vasilis Palaiokostas. The bourgeois media accused him a the time of being a bank robber as well, and from this point of view it fits them well to claim these days that Vasilis had "selected Polikarpos for a conspiracy in setting his brother, Nikos, free from prison". These two brothers are well known "legends" in the country for decades.
Since the fall of the Ottoman empire in 1821 Greece knows a very popular
and great tradition of social and class robberies, as a respond to poverty
and exploitation. These people would take back the money of the rich, the
authorities, the exploiters, and usually hide in villages, with the help
of the people; they would refuse to help the police and protect them from
the authorities. The rebels always had strong connections with the people
and provided for their communities for instance in forms of financial
support for education, medication and protection on their turn from the
police.
In this reality, the two brothers Vasilis and Nikos, and still many others, who grew up in a very poor family, couldn't take any longer the
exploitation and slavery of themselves as well as of the people around
them in this society, and thus have been living their lives as social
rebels for the last 30 years. They made tens of bank robberies, car thefts
and escapes from prison, but never had fancy clothes, drove expensive cars
or lived in luxury houses. Indeed have once thrown the money back on the
floor of the bank, because that little amount wasn't what they needed.
Everything was always send to where it was needed and shared with the
people who protected them, hided them and still won't say a word to the police about their comrades. During all these years they've been underground, while being traced by the police from time to time as well, either resulting in a successful escape by stolen cars, or unfortunate prison time. Always escaped from it however, with the loving and spectacular help of the other brother.
Throughout the 80's they did many robberies, until Nikos ended up in
prison in 1988, but was released from it by his brother only a few days
later, by throwing a rope over the wall of the prison outside. Two years
later, in February 1990 he was arrested again. One month later Vasilis was
unluckily caught with a friend, while trying to rescue his brother. This
was supposedly the first time they were both in prison at the same time.
In December 1990 though, Nikos escapes from Korydallos prison in Athens
after a huge uprising in the prison, cops have then been looking for him
for the next 16 years, until they caught him by accident when he was in a
car crash in 2006. He has not been out ever since. In 1991 Vasilis manages
to escape from Halkida prison. In 1992 he robs a bank. In 1995 they rob a
bank together in Athens. In December 1995 they're being
accused of having kidnapped the president of a "halvas" factory, Haitoglou. They supposedly let him go after four days and 750.000 euro's ransom. The
minister of public order send out a warrant, on tv, radio and posters,
with their picture and a reward of also exactly 750.000 euro's. In 1996
Vasilis was traced by the cops in Korfu, but managed to escape from them
by taking a car. Two years later the same situation appeared in Yanitsa,
and again in May 1999. In 2003 Nikos makes a spectacular escape with a
helicopter. In 2006 Nikos robbed a bank in Veria by bicycle and got away because the masses of police out there were completely preoccupied with the protection president visiting the streets of Veria at that very moment. In September of that year he had the car accident and got locked up again after many years of living on the run and in hiding.
The police found out about the identity and whereabouts of the group
because the fourth men, was spending large sums of cash money on luxury cars in Crete. Also because Georgos Mylonas had stated to the police that during his kidnapping he had heard airplanes flying over very frequently. With the arrest of the man in Crete they found out he rented a house in Souroti, a quiet area near Thessaloniki, close to the airport. Police
claims that with 14 special force cops, and 10 civil cops (it's very
likely there were way more), they surrounded the house in Souroti. Both
Vasilis and Polikarpos were arrested there, where they had also kept
Mylonas and the artillery.
On the 22nd of August they've all been brought to the prosecutor, who
gave them 3 days to prepare the defense, and will decide over the continuing of their pre-trial detention. they face 9 charges (3 felonies, 6 misdemeanors). After the trial he was dragged by two big elite troop cops to the press, eager to take a picture of Greece's most wanted, and proudly
showed them what they caught; the nightmare of every system that imposes
law, control and punishment on the people.
 E-Mail: abcamsterdam@squat.net  Website: http://squat.net/abcamsterdam
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| Lees meer over: vrijheid, repressie & mensenrechten | | aanvullingen | | pre-trial Vasilis Palaiokostas | ABC-Amsterdam - 25.08.2008 15:00
Today on the 25th of august Vasilis Palaiokostas was brought to pre-trial court, where where was decided he will go to prison indeed until the real trial.
About 25 solidarious people had gathered around the court house between 9:30 and 10:00 to show their warm feelings to Palaiokostas and their anger against the system he has been sabotaging so fierce and rebellious for the last decades, but has now captured him for to burry in their rotten dungeons.
He defended himself, even though a lawyer was there for him, but not present in the courtroom.
after about 3 hours he was taken out through the back entrance, with lost of 'Ekami' (special elite forces) around him and bourgeois press jumping on him. The people in solidarity couldn't come any closer then about 200 m. due to an aggressive line up from different kinds of police, but shouted many slogans, which he certainly must have heard.
Someof these slogans (translated):
-"Cops, Pigs, Murderers!"
-"The passion for freedom is stronger then all prisons!"
-"Politicians, Industrialists, Kapitalistst; Hangings and kidnaps are coming!"
-"Hate, Hate, Hate, Class-hate,
Kicks and punches to every employer!"
Until now, nothing is known what was said in the court by either Palaiokostas, or the judges.
We will be back tomorrow morning for the trial of Vagelis and Polikarpos.
-Freedom lives when the state dies-
E-Mail: abcamsterdam@squat.net
Website: http://squat.net/abcamsterdam
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