The depth and intensity of my gratitude for the people who with whatever means supported me all these years far exceeds my ability to express it. At the same time, my discharge from all categories is much more important than a personal vindication. It is a victory for the world of the struggle against repression. A victory of the underdogs against the deep police state. A victory of the movement and alternative media against the dominant mainstream media. A victory of counter-information against the regime’s propaganda. A victory of the movement against the depravity of authority.
The decision of any court that had to confront such a voluminous file, but missing any kind of proof, such as the first degree court and also the second degree one, could not be anything other than political. But in contrast to the 1st degree, the majority of the members of the 2nd degree Felony Court of Appeal had the honesty to remain consistent in their declarations of – still classist – criminal justice and not succumb to the pressure of the lobby of the “anti-terrorist” crusade, but listen to the solidarity movement, ultimately acquitting me of all the charges.
So this decision is at the same time a first threshold on the machinations of the anti-terrorism unit and their industry of persecutions that have as their spearheads the anti-terrorism law 187A and the pseudo-scientific element of DNA.
The field of criminal justice can and must be one more field of struggle, as the individual court decisions that materialize also define – always within the limits that their class position imposes – social and political correlations. This particular struggle has future points of reference. From Irianna’s release application to the court on July 17th to the trial of Skouries case following in September, and any protester trial up to every terror-court.
Tasos Theofilou
Athens
12/7/2017
Translated by A.F.F.N
via 325.nostate l portuguese