Revolutionary Struggle Prisoner Nikos Maziotis Refused Release: Greece

For the sixth time in a row, the Lamia Juvenile Crimes Council has rejected the request for conditional release of Nikos Maziotis, a prisoner of the organization “Revolutionary Struggle”, because he has not been “rehabilitated” and has not shown “moral improvement”. In addition to these six rejections by the Council for Minor Offences, the Court of Appeal confirmed the case. The last refusal comes when he has already served more than four-fifths of my sentence. Against the backdrop of tougher criminal legislation – which includes increased sentences, stricter conditions for parole and furloughs, and the creation of maximum-security prisons – Nikos may well become the first person in Greece sentenced to 20 years in prison to serve his full sentence. The length of a life sentence under the old penal code was 16 years.

Nikos Maziotis reacted by stating that “Indeed, a committed fighter, a revolutionary, an anarchist like me can never be ‘rehabilitated’ or ‘morally improved’ by prison, no matter how many years he remains incarcerated. A committed fighter, a revolutionary, an anarchist can devote his life to the struggle, as did the comrade Lambros Foundas of Revolutionary Struggle; he can risk his life for the cause, face the threat of being killed by the praetorians of the state – as I almost was; he/she can spend many years in prison – I have already served twelve years for Revolutionary Struggle and another four before that – but he/she must never take a step back, express repentance or dissociation, or, in other words, show “rehabilitation” and “moral improvement”, as the Judicial Council puts it.

source: Secours Rouge