Greece: regular arrests of consentious objectors

On Thursday, April 18, Menios Exioglou got arrested in front of his home on his way to work, in Thessaloniki, Northern Greece. The arrest occurred in flagrante delicto for the offense of insubordination. Initially he was brought in the Police Department of Upper City, the moved to the General Police Heardquarters and on Friday he was transferred to Athens where he will face the prosecution. And all this has occurred, even though since the 18th of September last year he has already been convicted at first instance in 4 months with one year's suspension for the same accusation by the military tribunal of Larissa.

This confirms once again the aggressive and vindictive policy, which has been lately unleashed against army objectors. The choice of refusing conscription legally forms a standing offense and due this legal "irregularity" any insubordinate, even if he has been previously convicted for the offense of insubordination, may face at any time a new flagrante delicto process and a new trial against him (and be convicted once again). Such terrorism is not letting us down. We will respond to the repressive actions in a collective and powerful way.

As he had written, together with other comrades, in a collective objection in May 2010: "Let's be clear about the abolishment of obligatory conscription (thinking constantly of abolishing the entire military as such), also refusing any right of the army and the state to impose it to us. Let's be clear about our indisputable right to consciously decide about the 'militant' offer of our time, our mood, our knowledge and our ability to every social action and social field thay we prioritize higher and to which we know better than any stubborn mechanism how can offer more."

NO ACTION AGAINST THE MILITARY OBJECTORS
IMMEDIATE ABOLISHMENT OF THE OBLIGATORY MILITARY SERVICE AND OF THE ARMY


PS: Manifestations will take place on Sunday in Athens during the tribunal (outside the military tribunal building) and Thessaloniki (in a central square).