GIANNIS FELEKIS spent over five years in prison under the colonels, was exiled for mne mans auer tae events de tne Atens Polytechnic in November 1973, and was tortured for two solid months by the military police. Now, together with 13 other members of left organisations, he faces anther possible two-year prison sentence.
All are charged with conspiracy to 'incite the crowd [at the 24-25 May general strike demonstrations] to throw stones at policemen and to engage in violence against the police and state'. Some of the accused were shed."
The stakes for the Karamanlis Govern. ment are much larger than the conviction of these. 14 people. As with the Shrewsbury trials, they concern the basic right to strike, the right of free speech, and the legality of conspiracy laws. GENERAL STRIKE! - Greece 24-25 May this year. Police attack demonstrators then try to frame victims. class paper to appear on the streets after the fall of the colonels. Felekis, the editor at the time, was arrested by Greek secret police for selling the paper 'without a permit'; and when that didn't stick, the judge accused Felekis of 'profiteering' -charging + aracnmas pp) lor te news paper! while trying to cover a demonstration for his paper. As he testified: the more brutal scenes of the evening. As Felekis was On 18 August 1974 he was again arrested *My arrest must have looked like one of Is Tuam or Advens are ville "TOM)
iseg ov oM October, But 'detente' is the watchword of both the Interior and Exterior Communist Parties and explains their refusal to attack the anti- victory working class and anti-democratic measures of the Karamanlis Government. - The KKE (Communist Party of the Exterior, hard-line pro-Moscow) has even resorted to calling for the dissolution of far left groups, according to Felekis. They say: *Karamanlis knows these groups very well. They are nests of fascist elements.' Thus they absolve themselves of their responsibility to defend these 14 opponents of the THE FINAL DEADLINE for notices for What's On Line moncay Derore ouencanon oniy accepted over Ine onone m exceptionai circumstances. nate. ep per word IGhi Kacism Dadoe avaraoie adam. coD | RACISM. imperialism and Apartheid in sout Arica-weekend educational conterence at ine University or cast nola. 2.s October. ro details contact Students Union. University o East Anglia, Norwich.
GLASGOW Socialist Forums: every night. at 7.30pm in the lona Community Centre POSTER tor the detence ot ranian noliticai oris wille Road. London N1 NATIONAL GAY CAUCUS: open to all comrades in the IMG who either identifv not but have gay discussior 58 Surford Road, Forest Fields, Nottinghar (0602 76410)
bENGAL CHIENu• In curope anc elsewnere, To -Dal-Bipial nationalen, Box 3274, 10365 Stockholm, Sweden IRELAND: Britain must withdraw-what Labou must do. Labour Party Conference meeting to Maynard, with om riBerck MeD ei-solder TOM SITTENICH -ex-solaie (recently served in Ireland). Mike Davies (Hack ney N. & Stoke Newington CLP), Paddy Prendi. Mon 27 Sept, 6.45pm, North Bank Hotel. 320 North Promenade. Blackpool. Organ Labour movement speakers.
PUBLIC RALLY of the International-Communis eague: The Lessons of Portugal and Building revolutionar internationa. Soeaker tromPolitical Committee. Guest speakers from Spar Comrade(s) for large room in Communal noesenola n wo . Preferably inter estec in exalorine ine bossiomtes or a lone-temn commitment to an alternative life-style. £55 p.n inclusive. none 01-400 0017 RED WEEKLY Fundraising party, Saturday 9 in Golden Eagle, Hill St., Birmingham. Oldhlo Fou yuh DoUce, UIsco, bie кататапіт Government. And while it is using the courts to victimise leftists, the junta's torturers are going scot free A year ago it was reported that 150 police and gendarmerie officers would be brough to trial for torture in the Athens area. The lower courts finally recommended the trial of 28 officers for 'felonies'. The Appeal Court then stepped in, reduced the charges to 'misdemeanours", and cleared 12 of the 28 altogether - including one officer who was named in seven separate torture complaints to the Council of Europe.
But the scars of mass imprisonment and torture borne by the Greek working class are still to fresh for them to submit readily to a repeat of the past 30 years Red Weekly asks all members of the labour movement to support the democratic right of free speech tor these tourteen comrades. The trial begins on 29 SeptemDer. r case seno eetrams suDoomne tno