Position text of prisoner Sofoclis Toutziarakis for the case of 1/18/2023 in Patras

Ever since my teenage years I have been active in the anarchist space. The case for which I was remanded on January 18, 2023 concerns acts of robbery, theft, and possession of explosives. The 7 robberies attributed to me are in 3 banks, 3 EL.TA. (Post offices), 1 supermarket.

The first thing I would like to touch on with this text is the obsession with which I was treated by the court and which resulted in my sentence of 23 years’ prison. An obsession that has to do with the fact that I’m an anarchist. The magnitude of the mock trial that initially convicted me and a co-accused of all the robberies, is such that various negative elements for our persecutors – which strengthen our position of non-existent evidence – were thus simply and without logic bypassed.

At the same time, some other important absurd events happened:
a) The legal passport of the husband of the owner of the house I was renting for a few days was confiscated during the police raid. Apparently, this had been forgotten there. Although that became clear, the president managed to judge it illegal and even impose a penalty on me.

b) A document from a public hospital with reference to a broken leg concerning my co-accused 5 days before committing a robbery – a fact that makes it impossible for him to have participated in such a thing – was considered insignificant by the court.

c) The fact that they never took my DNA legally, but that I am allegedly identified in practice through DNA, was again considered unimportant.

d) That the police took more DNA from me – clearly by some policeman’s hand – (via arraignment for a phantom far-right beating lawsuit), as during my arraignment at A.T. police station of Ermou, in an artificial moment of panic they snatched the coffee cup I was holding. Again this was considered insignificant.

e) That there is a tampered licence plate number on a stolen motorcycle [found] on the mountain, next to which was a covid mask with my DNA on it, in order to identify this motorcycle as the one that passed though the scene of the robbery (same make, same model), again considered unimportant.

f) The fact that the identifications were made with us wearing black suits immediately after our arrest, clear indication as the policemen [in the identification] next to us were dressed in plainclothes, was again considered insignificant.

g) The fact that in the middle of the trial the key witness for the prosecution was caught dictating what to say to the bogus – and ultimately invalid – identification witnesses, was again ignored.
h) That in all the robberies the police report speaks of different heights of perpetrators, different skin colours, different ages from time to time, different number of guns, different means of escape, was again deemed insignificant.

i) The police officer appointed key witness for the prosecution, also did the following unprecedented: for an ΟΠΑΠ (OPAP Gambling company) robbery in the city of Patras – which we had in the original indictment and was finally removed – a trial was held with him present, and with 2 other people confessing the act. So this did not particularly trouble him, and he tried to present this robbery to our own court again and again as if it were ours. While he was present at the trial for the deed, he concealed thi9s until we brought it up with our lawyers. A final proof of this particular policeman’s obsession, which was again ignored.

The police do this brilliantly: When a piece of evidence serves their purpose, they report it. But when a piece of information, a piece of evidence goes against their purpose, it is downgraded, and magically not taken into account.

So throughout the trial, it was clear that the court was in good company with the police, playing bad theatre in a show where the end was predetermined before it even began.

A case of social, criminal content reached the point of criminalizing my social relations. The only real burden on my co-accused was our contact and the ruse of our accusers to propose a charge of membership in a criminal organization for us. And for the media to feed on neo-terrorism, on the continuity of old-new, to talk about the past of relatives, and generally to conduct an obsessive anti-anarchist war only with lies and mud.

The court itself was upgraded to an anti-anarchist stage, as analysis by the police and prosecutor focused on our participation in the occupation of the Annex, our presence “at the forefront of the violent events of the city” . It came to be said seriously that “they have a tendency to establish themselves hierarchically in this area through the violence of robberies (which they would probably spread later)”, as well as that “the path of mass murderous attacks is definitely opening before us” , because of the small amount of C4 explosive found in my house.

These things might be graphic and ridiculous if said by journalists. But they are extremely dangerous when adopted by a district attorney.

As for the local press: At the same time as we often had 20-30 supporters with us in court, the ruffian sites said that the city’s anarchists had turned their backs on us. Beyond the tragedy, pettiness and ridiculousness of such articles, we are talking about a city like Patras, where a typical gathering of anarchists has a corresponding crowd.

The goal is clear: Our isolation and disconnection from the social and political field. But this is not possible, as even in prison life must go on. And the life we have chosen always contains a struggle for justice. And let us endure the consequences for years. The prison world is a hypertoxic jungle, where all twisted social instincts emerge and expand. To stand with dignity, honour and freedom of action and speech is a big wager.

Many times in the movement we talk about political events. In the depths of power, in its worst expression, there are constantly small battles that, if analyzed, have a political content. Despite all that, they get no publicity, and probably won’t. Since life outside prison involves compromises, imagine how compromising life inside can become. Defeat lurks everywhere. It requires constant readiness and a clean code to stand your ground.

Delinquency, as much as the powerful want to present it as pure fashion, was and will be a form of outlet with social causes. Historically, in progressive movements, robbery was a form of popular reaction, will and justice. So I couldn’t say anything negative. I have met robbers, and most of them were people you want around, decent, promotive. I have also met people of the law. Many were small-minded and sad.

My solidarity and respect to those who take an inspiring stance inside the prisons and don’t let them become a dead store of a passing world with no place for anything.
Strength to those who struggle.
Sakis Pikasi’s direct vindication of the estimable Position and exemplary struggle he gives.

Sofoclis Toutziarakis
First wing of Agios Stefanos, Patras
15/9/2024

via: athens.indymedia

Translated by Act for freedom now!