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09.2008

artikel in het engels over de arrestatie van 3 mensen in Griekenland, naar aanleiding van een kidnapping twee maanden geleden.

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.