The summers of 2022 and 2023 were marked by two major struggles waged from inside the prison by our anarchist comrade Yannis Michailidis. With his primary demand being his release, which the state vindictively denied despite the years he had already served, G.M. escalated his protest to a hunger strike, reaching a critical health condition on both occasions. On the 30th day of his second hunger strike, he decided to further escalate his protest with a thirst strike, which ultimately resulted in the victory of his struggle and his subsequent release.
In this battle, the anarchist movement supported the strikers’ fight by convening central assemblies several times a week, writing texts and organizing actions on a nationwide scale. In Athens, the solidarity movement, drawing from various strands of struggle, did everything in its power to demonstrate its solidarity with the struggle of our comrade. It was within this framework that the “Assembly of Solidarity with the Anarchist Hunger Striker Yiannis Michailidis” sought to bring the issue to the forefront, raise public awareness, highlight the state’s vindictiveness toward political prisoners and to pressure the state to prevent the comrade’s murder.
One of the interventions of the assembly, which took place on June 13, 2023, was the highlighting of the responsibility of the judicial authorities who held the striker’s life in their hands. Specifically, the judges in Amfissa, who, in line with state strategy, had been delaying his release proceedings for months without even considering his request. With the striker’s health in a critical condition, having already begun his thirst strike, five comrades from the assembly went to Amfissa, where we proceeded to highlighting the state and judicial murder of our comrade, using spray paint at the walls of the local courts and throwing fliers.
After the intervention was over, as we were leaving, local cops arrested us. A few hours later, we were in the courts of Amfissa, where we appeared before a prosecutor, declaring the reasons of our intervention, while she mocked the hunger striker G. Michailidis and “prepared” us for our impending conviction. In the court hearing that followed, we emphasized the critical state of our comrade’s health, the historical gravity of his potential murder, and the responsibility borne by the state and, in particular, the judges of Amfissa. We defended the hunger striker and his struggle using his own body and health to demand his release. Finally, we highlighted the importance of solidarity with political prisoners and our overall opposition to the institution of prison. Having no legal representation, we were convicted of aggravated criminal damage and disobedience for refusing to be fingerprinted.
We were sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment, suspended, and a fine of €3,600 each. Both the severity of the sentences and the large fine imposed on us highlight the vindictive treatment we received from the court.
We consider the solidarity with the struggles of prisoners as an integral part of our own struggles against the state and authority. We will defend our ideas and principles in the appeals court, which will take place on September 29, 2026, in Lamia, while aiming to limit as much as possible the blatant vindictiveness of the first-degree sentences.
Lamia Court of Appeals, September 29, 2026
NO ONE ALONE IN THE HANDS OF THE STATE
STRUGGLE UNTIL THE LAST PRISON IS DEMOLISHED
FOR A WORLD OF FREEDOM, EQUALITY, AND SOLIDARITY
The arrested for the intervention on 6/13/23 at the Amfissa courthouse
Firefund: https://www.firefund.net/amfissaintervention | https://athens.indymedia.org/post/1641475/