Comrade Pola Roupa and Comrade Nikos Maziotis were sentenced to several years in prison for their participation and action in the guerilla organization Revolutionary Struggle. They were imprisoned and served the combined 20-year prison sentence to which they were finally sentenced (after the “breaking” of their life sentence for the bombing attack on the Bank of Greece-branch of the European Central Bank-office of the International Monetary Fund in Greece, by Revolutionary Struggle Commando Lambros Fountas ).
Comrade Pola Roupa served 8.5 years of real prison (13.5 years mixed), while her partner Nikos Maziotis has already served 11 years of “closed” prison and a total of 14 years mixed. That is, 3/5 of their sentence as state laws dictate. Comrade Pola Roupa was released from prison with restrictive conditions on November 17, 2023, and a few days later, on November 28, 2023, the deputy prosecutor of Evia filed an appeal against her release, requesting that she be taken back to prison.
This unprecedented event led comrade Pola Roupa before a new judicial council at the court of Chalkida on January 10, 2024, in order to judge from scratch whether she will remain free or continue to be a prisoner in the cells of the republic. The definitive release of comrade P. Roupa from state hostage-taking is the immediate political issue as they seek to put her back in prison. The regime itself questions its jurisprudence and retracts itself: it initially “allows” the release of comrade P. Roupa, while subsequently attempting to reverse its decision. The aforementioned mandated minion of the political and judicial power –vice-prosecutor of Evia– with his move proves the extreme vindictive way of dealing with the political enemies of the state and capital, and especially the armed combatants.
Comrade N. Maziotis has received 4 parole denials in two years, because he remains unrepentant. This “special” treatment of exception does not stop, even after the many years of persecution and captivity imposed on them.
State and capital: the only terrorists
In a class society where the advanced degree of centralization of political and economic power characterizes the modern capitalist system, the state tightens and represses through its multifaceted institutional and legal arsenal (and in all fields) with increasingly severe penalties those social groups that react against the permanent social-class war. Democracy is enforced and strengthened in many ways and strategies. The robbery of social wealth, the impoverishment, the deregulation of labor relations, the dismantling of “public health”, the privatization (or “reform” as they tend to call it) of “public education”, the plundering and overexploitation of the non- human beings and nature, the wars of the ruling elites and geostrategic rivalries, are some of the most profitable fields for the bosses (capital), which the political power (the state) imposes with violence, repression, terrorism: using as trunk and pillar of stability the legal system of “justice”, criminal codes, prison.
State and capital (all over the world) are shielded, upgrade and harmonize their repressive policies with the strategic goal of preventing and permanently suppressing internal resistances and dynamic struggles. Mainly, the “internal” political enemy with the attempted de-politicization of the armed struggle and the fighters. The anti-terrorist laws in Greece are constantly being upgraded, while the special conditions of detention and exclusion of political prisoners as well as their “special” criminal treatment are at the cutting edge of all criminal, legislative and repressive enforcement. The guerilla organizations –and not only these of the a/a space– that turn with all means against the political-economic system of domination, are the target of the harshest criminal and repressive treatment.
The anarchist urban guerrilla organization Revolutionary Struggle turned against this system of rule. In the years it was active (2003-2017) it assumed responsibility for 18 actions –armed and with bombs– against state structures and capitalist/systemic targets. Against ministries (Economy, Employment), police stations, police officers of the MAT, against courts, an attempt against the minister of public order, an attack with an anti-tank rocket on the US embassy, a bomb attack on the Stock Exchange and the Bank of Greece-ECT-IMF office, and for the expropriation of banks. Comrade P. Roupa took political responsibility for 2 of them, for financing the escape attempt she attempted in 2016 by hijacking a helicopter, with the aim of freeing comrade Nikos Maziotis (and other prisoners) for the continuation of the Revolutionary Struggle. The two comrades also took over personally the political responsibility of their participation in R.S. They remained politically and morally consistent during their years of captivity, defending one by one all the actions of R.S. in the special courts, with special laws (187A) in the criminal courts of Korydallos prisons. The state seems to have been “displeased” with the final sentence with which the comrades were sentenced. In particular, because with their attitude and struggle in the terror-courts of the enemy, they managed to “break” (in their appeals courts) the life sentences that had been imposed on them (in the first instance) for the attack of R.S. against the Bank-ECB-IMF. Based on this assessment that the comrade mentions in her text entitled, “Pola Roupa: They want to put me back in prison” – https://athens.indymedia.org/post/1628364/ – , it is proven that the appeal against her release as well as the prolonged captivity of comrade N. Maziotis have clear vindictive and ideological-political motives, because they chose armed revolutionary action for the abolition of the state, capitalism and any kind of hierarchy, exploitation and power.
The hostage and the captivity of the comrades may constitute a preliminary application of articles included in the upcoming Criminal Code, e.g. article 20 P.C.: Dismissal under the condition of revocation-Amendment of article 105B P.C. par. 1 b, as well as in article 21 of the upcoming P.C.: Conditions for the granting of conditional dismissal-Amendment of par. 1 of article 106 of the P.C. This is reflected in the rationale of the decision for the 4th rejection of the release of comrade N. Maziotis.
The following excerpt is indicative:[…] “However, the repeated commission of serious misdemeanors that constitute criminal offenses at the same time demonstrates the applicant’s lack of self-discipline and compliance with the basic rules of the penal system, his constant tendency to commit criminal acts and therefore the insufficiency of his punishment and his lack of moral improvement, for the purpose of his conversion and the possibility of his smooth reintegration into society in the event of his release from the detention center.[…] […] the prisoner showed particularly aggressive behavior towards the council, as well as complete contempt for justice and the penitentiary system, he stated that he considers himself a political prisoner, while at the same time he did not show that he had realized the particular despicability of the criminal acts he had committed– https://athens.indymedia.org/post/1628429 -, concluding that for all these reasons his request for parole is rejected, in order to supposedly prevent …, the commission of “new criminal acts”.
Solidarity is our weapon
Comrade Pola Roupa and comrade Nikos Maziotis, despite the repressive blows and the many years of captivity, remain politically consistent and with their eyes fixed on the revolutionary perspective and the social revolution. They did not repent, they do not revise their opinions, political choices and actions for which they were in prison. As anarchists, comrades, we stand in solidarity in the fight for the definitive release of comrade Pola Roupa and the immediate release of comrade Nikos Maziotis. Pending the decision of the Evia Court of Appeal, we call a SOLIDARITY DAY IAN GREECE on February 9, 2024. We call on comrades in Greece and around the world to be vigilant and act in solidarity.
Text in Greek here: https://athens.indymedia.org /post/1628802/
and the French text here: https://athens.indymedia.org/post/1628805/
EVERY REBEL HEART, A REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE!
UNTIL THE DEMOLITION OF EVERY PRISON
DEFINITIVE RELEASE OF COMRADE POLA ROUPA AND COMRADE NIKOS MAZIOTIS
Solidarity assembly for convicted members
of the Revolutionary Struggle P. Roupa et N. Maziotis
