https://anarchistsworldwide.noblogs.org/post/2020/03/22/greek-prisons-message-from-revolutionary-struggle-member-nikos-maziotis-about-the-sudden-transfer-of-pola-roupa/?fbclid=IwAR2a3SiBsxMg4Co8KsOU9WQ5It8jYUGHbI2Yf8s76NZ7U1rHGRxBaFMtcAo
21.03.2020
This morning special forces police entered the Korydallos Women’s Prisons and removed Pola Roupa for transfer to the Eleonas-Thebes Women’s Prisons. Obviously, the reason for this is the mobilization and demands for prison sentences to be reduced because of the risk of coronavirus spreading in prisons. Yesterday the prisoners began mobilizing by keeping the jail open at lunchtime.
The transfer of Comrade Roupa to the Eleonas Prisons was apparently the response of the Ministry of Citizen Protection to the prisoners’ demands and mobilizations. There has been no response to the call for reducing the overcrowding of the prisons in legal ways as outlined in the demands of the detainees, which is the most basic way to prevent a massive outbreak of the virus in the prisons. It is certain that after the cessation of visits from relatives and advocates, that the ministry’s next step will be to incarcerate prisoners in their cells for 24 hours a day under the guise of “protecting” them, since the virus will have entered the prisons, if it hasn’t already. The measure of 24 hour incarceration is completely fascist, nor does it solve the problem. It is illegal and not provided for by any law or penal code and is in line with the more general approach for a ban on movement that is already in place throughout Europe. Fascism in society, fascism in the prisons!
Pola Roupa has always been at the forefront of mobilizations and protests at Korydallos Women’s Prisons. And of course the reaction of the ministry and the government is “understandable”. Let them know that this will not break us and we will not bend for any government, left or right.
Nikos Maziotis, member of Revolutionary Struggle
(via Mpalothia, translated into English by Anarchists Worldwide)