(Banner in Thessaloniki: “Solidarity to Tasos Theofilou – Fire and arson to all prison cells – Trial 10/6”)
On February 7th, 2014 anarchist communist Tasos Theofilou was sentenced to 25 years in prison, although he has denied all charges from the start. A three-member bench reached a majority opinion (instead of a unanimous verdict) at the trial court in Athens.
Tasos Theofilou was acquitted of severe charges in relation to “formation of and membership in a terrorist organization” (i.e. his alleged involvement in the urban guerrilla group Conspiracy of Cells of Fire), as well as possession of explosives and ordnance (these charges were also dropped, since the judges ruled that he was never a member of the CCF), forgery of five identification cards, use of a firearm, and two attempted homicides.
However he was found guilty of two felony charges: participating in a robbery with his physical characteristics covered, and being an abettor in manslaughter committed in a calm mental state. He was also convicted of three misdemeanors: carrying a firearm, repeatedly forging (accusation relating to vehicles of the robbers), and accepting proceeds of crime (the getaway car of the robbers).
In other words, the court decided that supposedly Theofilou (without being a member of the CCF or another organization) participated in the bank robbery on Paros Island in August 2012, but he was not the one who killed Dimitris Michas (the citizen who attempted to prevent the robbers’ escape). According to one of his defense lawyers, this is a decision taken on the basis of one and only indication (a controversial DNA sample on a hat which one of the robbers allegedly dropped). At least the imposition of life imprisonment was prevented, as he was not convicted of intentional manslaughter…
Many facts of the case and evidence presented to the court argued in favor of his acquittal (e.g. none of the eyewitness recognized Theofilou during the trial). Nevertheless, as had happened in the case of anarchist prisoner Babis Tsilianidis, also in this proceeding the defendant was adjudged to be guilty solely on the basis of DNA, which was allegedly found on a mobile object.
The court of first instance imposed: 16 years for abetting manslaughter, 15 years for committing robbery, 3 years for committing forgery, 2 years for carrying a firearm (plus a fine of 5,000 euros), and 2 years for accepting proceeds of crime; total: 38 years. The aggregate sentence is 25 years in prison. The comrade has the right to appeal against his conviction, but the appeal has no suspensive effect; that is, he must remain in prison until his next trial in the court of appeals (but in the meantime he can request that his prison sentence be suspended).
FULL ACQUITTAL AND IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF COMRADE TASOS THEOFILOU.
Athens – 11 November 2013: Trial of anarchist communist Tasos Theofilou in the court of appeals on Loukareos street
Short description of the case by comrades in solidarity:
On 18 August 2012, at 11am, anarchist communist Tasos Theofilou was kidnapped by the anti-terrorist force from Kerameikos Square in central Athens. After being handcuffed and black-hooded by cops, he was brought to the police headquarters in Athens, where his DNA sample was taken by force and he was accused of involvement in the robbery of Alpha Bank on Paros Island (which had occurred few days earlier), and the fatal injury of a citizen who attempted to prevent the robbers’ escape. He was also charged with participation in the revolutionary organization Conspiracy of Cells of Fire. The anti-terrorist force used their most common tactic: they claimed that someone made an “anonymous phone call” to the police few days after the bank robbery, presenting Tasos Theofilou as one of the perpetrators, and this is what led to his arrest…
The comrade has refused all charges from the first moment. He has defended himself saying that the only thing implicating him in the incidents on Paros is a DNA sample from a mobile object (a hat) allegedly found outside of the bank, which in no way implies his own presence in the robbery scene. He has also challenged the validity of collection and analysis procedure for the particular DNA sample. As for the accusation of his involvement in the CCF, in the first text he published after his arrest the comrade stated that it would be impossible to be a CCF member because of huge political disagreements with the organization, clarifying that he recognizes of course that they share a common place in the camp of those who act hostilely toward the old world. This false allegation is based on matters related to the operation-fiasco of December 2010, when six anarchists were arrested for participation in an “unknown terrorist organization,” charges which were later incorporated in the CCF case (two of the six arrestees were acquitted of all charges by decree). In particular, according to the testimony of an anti-terrorist cop, comrade Tasos Theofilou is considered a CCF member because of his comradely and friendly relationship with anarchist Kostas Sakkas (who also denies being a member of this revolutionary organization). Additionally, Tasos Theofilou is portrayed as having provided counter-surveillance measures in the region of Agrinio to another anarchist accused in the same case (Giorgos Karagiannidis), a fact that he denies categorically, explaining that he saw the particular comrade for the first time only in pictures released by the cops after the December 2010 arrests.
The main accusations (among others) that Tasos Theofilou is facing in court are:
1-Formation of and membership in a terrorist organization (CCF)
2-Intentional manslaughter
3-Double attempted serial homicide
4-Armed joint-venture robbery
5-Manufacture, supply and possession of explosives
Solidarity to Tasos Theofilou
======================================================
Athens – 10 June 2013: First day of the trial against comrade Tasos Theofilou
In August 2012, Tasos Theofilou was arrested in Athens and remanded on grave charges. He is accused of an armed bank robbery on Paros Island that happened previously that summer, and resulted to the fatal shooting of a citizen who attempted to stop the robbers on their escape. In addition, he is implicated in the case against the urban guerrilla group Conspiracy of Cells of Fire. The comrade explicitly denies all charges.
The trial of anarchist-communist Tasos Theofilou will start Monday, June 10th, 2013, by 9am, at the 3rd three-member felony court of appeals (Efeteio) on Loukareos street in Athens.
You may read some thoughts of the comrade ahead of the court proceeding in Greek, English, Spanish.
Greece: Text of Tasos Theofilou from Domokos prison
The following text was written only 24 hours before the magic escape from the prison in Trikala on the 22nd of March 2013.*
Probably it has some interest to comment on the last two attempted escapes from maximum security prisons in Greece: the one with a helicopter from Trikala prison, and the other with a small bluff from Malandrino prison.
In the first case, it became apparent that the police, in order to consolidate the doctrine of zero tolerance, did not hesitate to open fire and endanger the lives of dozens of people, citing the intent to prevent an escape, an act punishable as misdemeanor…
In the second case, we saw what a prisoner can succeed by camouflaging a simple radio device into a remote-control bomb (!) when the mechanisms of law enforcement know he makes no jokes about his freedom. Although he did not manage to escape in the end, he kept the entire prison staff on their toes for 24 hours with decisiveness as his only weapon.
But what really matters in these two incidents is the alteration in the meaning of escape, as well as its mutation into an individual affair of the prisoner. Until the late 90s rebellion and escape were two almost interrelated concepts. A prison rebellion was usually the result of an attempted mass escape. Prison inmates were trying to flee together, some managed to run away, others in their attempt got wounded by bullets of the cops, and the rest were forced to return inside, and they would torch the prison. The causes of this alteration must be sought on the one hand in the upgrading of technology and architecture of repression, on the other hand in the unprecedented individualism of contemporary prisoners.
Modern prisons are designed for the maximum possible control, using both physical and electronic methods. There are surveillance cameras on every corner of each prison wing, which is perfectly squared and devoid of any natural element. There are security doors that open only electronically from the control rooms. Another important detail is that nowadays the roof—the primary refuge of prison rebels—is not accessible in almost any way.
What’s more, the composition of the prison population itself has changed over the last decade, which has largely changed the perception of prisoners as well. The prison population is not composed of bloodthirsty criminals or romantic outlaws. It consists of migrants from Africa and Asia, who in most cases do not even know, not only the Greek language, but also the reason they are in prison. It consists of drug addicts whose place should be in hospitals. It consists of scared petty-delinquents and debtors, the new trend in Greek prisons. It is also composed of godfathers and thugs of the nightlife that, in exchange for some small favors, maintain a balance between corruption and social peace in Greek prisons.
Relationships between prisoners are fake, hypocritical ad nauseum, and diplomatic; a game of domination that acts as a brake on building relationships of trust, a fact that subsequently reduces any combative mood which requires solidarity. Prisoners are being divided in nations and races, in small and large prison sentences, in different offenses that were committed, in personal disputes arising mainly because of dope or petty personal interests, and thus destroy every sense of community of struggle that could have been created among them. Ultimately any prisoner who wants to assert his freedom is encouraged to attempt it on his own or alongside some friends. Collective solutions seem an obsolete romanticism that belongs in the 90s.
And why is all this important?
Because prison is not a mirror of the society. It is rather the ground on which society’s functions, values, traditions, ethics and problems are being condensed. Watching and analyzing what is happening on the inside, one is able to interpret the social inertia outside the walls.
Helicopters for prison escapes are both spectacular and legitimate, but even more beautiful are the flames of prison rebellion. We must not cease to honour those who have succeeded or even attempted to escape, but we must not forget that the aim should not be just to fly over the walls, but to dance on their ruins.
Anastasios K. Theofilou
E1 wing, Domokos prison
* On March 22nd, there was a successful escape of 11 prisoners from Trikala prison (nine are still on the run, while two other escapees were caught by police nearby).
Greece: Short poem by imprisoned anarchist communist Tasos Theofilou
Someday all this will be finished
and we’re going to say at least we tried.
We have neither been brought to life unfairly
nor become a burden to the Earth unjustly.
We left something behind.
And we’ll have wrinkles on our faces
each wrinkle will be a deep cut
for every moment of agony
for every eternity of loneliness.
Those who are afraid of wrinkles
afraid of their past
their meaningless present
their predetermined future
hate themselves. What they’re becoming.
Time leaves its mark
and we shall bear it proudly.
Prison address:
Anastasios K. Theofilou
Domokos prison, B2 wing
P.C. 35010 Domokos
Fthiotida, Greece
Greece: Notes by imprisoned anarchist communist Anastasios (Tasos) Theofilou
6.9.2012
Eventually we arrive at Domokos (central Greece). I did not know this city because of its notorious katiki cheese but instead because of the homonymous prison. That’s why I’ve always used the feminine article for ‘Domokos’, since prison has a feminine article in Greek; just like I’ve always referred to ‘Avlona’. In fact, I think both place names are masculine nouns. The journey is interesting. The President of the Republic would have been jealous of such an escort. Only, he wouldn’t have been handcuffed behind his back, with four swaddled heads keeping a close watch on him. Incidentally one of them, the driver, is easygoing. Throughout the four-hour transfer, the handcuffs are tightened too much, so I feel something like electricity hitting my already bloodied wrists. Till this day, my thumbs are still numb.
My reception in the prison wing is so warm that it becomes frightening. Everyone wants to know me and share a handshake with me; neither out of sympathy befitting a victim of fabricated charges, nor out of respect corresponding to someone who did not cooperate with the authorities; instead they’re in awe of a television star. I am beginning to grasp what dimensions the incident of my arrest has taken in the mainstream media.
What we have here is a multicultural feast. A forensic feast, too. An Indian-born man is sentenced to life because he killed one of ‘his own’, i.e. a compatriot of his. He’s got a genial face. He killed that man over a fight. There’s a guy of sixty with one tooth and a darkened face, who looks like a truck driver from some film by Rodriguez. He has served a life sentence already; one month later, he was recaptured and sentenced to life again. He’s currently doing almost his sixth year of his prison time. He claims proudly that, when he was in the D (wing), he nailed a pair of scissors in the ass of Korkoneas (the cop that murdered Alexis Grigoropoulos in December 2008). He was transferred to another wing alright, but he was not been given the prison transfer he had wished for. Something tells me that the prison administration has bought the trick with Korkoneas. There is another man sentenced to 3.5 years, i.e. 3.5 fi in the prison dialect. The ‘fi’, aka filakisi, imprisonment, is opposed to the ‘ka’ which means kathirxi, incarceration. So: this guy doesn’t have any money to bail himself out of prison and sits in here among robbers and assassins. Fortunately, he has a criminal physic, and if you don’t hear his drama out, you think he’s a lifer and so you greet him with some respect. The poor fellow attempted to steal a car but had a bad luck, as it turned out that the vehicle belonged to cops. To father and son! Oh my gee! What he says of his arrest is he was beaten up for three days, every twenty minutes. His face was so swollen that it grew twice its size, yet the investigating judge failed to notice… There are many prisoners who have served their first-instance sentences before they even stand before an appeals court. For example, there are two men accused of a dozen bank robberies: none of them admitted any of the charges. One hundred and sixty witnesses, from customers to cashiers, paraded into the courtroom but none of them recognized the defendants! The testimonies given by cops were sufficient for the judges that sentenced each to twenty years, and now both are only looking forward to an appeal. The appeal trial receives dimensions of a second advent in prison.
7.9.2012
Living conditions are sort of like a youth hostel. Many languages, shared kitchen, forced cohabitation. The space is extremely limited. The prison yard is the size of a luxury hotel pool, ten meters depth; just like the height of the walls that surround it. If I want to run a little, I soon feel like an electron, I get dizzy and give up the effort. Concrete and wires prevail everywhere. Looking out from the window of my cell, behind the bar, I see a piece of sky decorated with some barbed wire. The night has no stars; they have vanished under the powerful spotlights.
8.9.2012
It’s cloudy today. The wall’s colour is the same as that of the sky. The clouds stand out from the wall only because of the barbed wire. Depression.
9.9.2012
Nice evening out here. But the strong lights don’t let this evening feel any different from the rest. I begin to understand the true meaning behind the phrase ‘confinement experience’. Experience! Maybe I’m lucky that I live a mental condition which only a small part of humanity has the misfortune to experience. However, I cannot go out on a balcony to enjoy the autumn evening, and this seems to me little more than depressing. It feels perverse and sadistic. Okay, can’t complain. We’re making History out here; can we feel stuck in prison? No, no, and again no. But since I’m thinking all of this, why don’t I just write it down…
To be continued…
Prison address:
Anastasios K. Theofilou
Domokos prison, B2 wing
P.C. 35010, Domokos, Fthiotida, Greece
Tasos cannot receive books by mail, only small volumes of letters.