Acts of harassment against Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM)

Greece: Acts of harassment against GHM(CaseGRE 040408.4 - Follow up of Case GRE 040408 - Humanrights defenders: Judicial proceedings / Harassment) Geneva,11 October 2010 The International Secretariat of the WorldOrganisation Against Torture (OMCT) has received new information and requestsyour intervention in the following situation in Greece. New information: The InternationalSecretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Greek Helsinki Monitor(GHM), a memberof OMCT SOS-Torture network, about new developments in the acts of harassmentagainst GHM and activists who filed criminal actions against Greece’s neo-Nazis. According to the information received, onSeptember 22, 2010, the trial againstMs. Anna Stai, Ms.Rena Koutelou and Mr. Lambis Katsiapis, members of the Greeknon-governmental organisation Antinazi Initiative (Antinazistiki Protovoulia),before the Appeals Court of Athens for dissemination of false informationthrough the press was postponed to December 6, 2010. The trial follows a complaintby Mr. Kostas Plevris, author of the book “The Jews: The Whole Truth” (May2006) in relation to a poster Antinazi Initiative published on January 14, 2009and an announcement on their website published on January 28, 2009 where thedefendants claimed that Kostas Plevris is supported by anti-Semiticprosecutors and judges, who constitute a “fascist network” in the judicialsystem. Ms.Stai,Ms. Koutelou and Mr. Katsiapis face a possible sentence of six months to five years ofimprisonment and a fine for dissemination of false information through themedium of the press. Furthermore, the InternationalSecretariat of OMCT has been informed of another similar case of judicialharassment. On January 24, 2011, Ms. Andrea Gilbert, Mr. PanayoteDimitras, respectively GHM’s specialist on anti-Semitism and Spokepersonand Messrs. Benjamin Albalas, Leon Gavrilidis, Moisis Konstantinis, andAvraam Reitan, members of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece(Kentriko Israilitiko Symvoulio - KIS), will be tried before the 6thMisdemanours Court of Athens, for false accusations, perjury and aggravateddefamation against Kostas Plevris, following a complaint he filed in 2007. Thesix activists face such charges on the basis of the complaints foranti-Semitism they had filed in 2006 against Mr. Plevris, of which he waseventually aqcuitted[1]. They facepossible prison sentences up to five years and the stripping of their civil rights for one to fiveyears. The InternationalSecretariat of OMCTexpresses its deep concern about this judicial harassment against these human rightsdefenders, which seems to merely aim at intimidating and sanctioning theirhuman rights activities, in particular their activities against discriminationand anti-Semitism in Greece. The International Secretariatof OMCT also recalls that according to Article 12.2 of the United NationsDeclaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the UN General Assembly onDecember 9, 1998, “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protectionby the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association withothers, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adversediscrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of hisor her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the presentDeclaration”.Background information:Ms. Anna Stai, Ms. Rena Koutelou, Mr.Lambis Katsiapis, Ms. Andrea Gilbert, Mr. Panayote Dimitras,and Messrs. Benjamin Albalas, Leon Gavrilidis, Moisis Konstantinis, andAvraam Reitan were civil claimants and/or testified at a trial against theextreme-right newspaper Eleftheros Kosmos, which had published articleson October 27, 2006 in conjunction of the anti-Semitic book by Mr. Plevris,“The Jews - The Whole Truth”. On December 13, 2007, the Second Three-MemberAppeals Court of Athens convicted Mr. Plevris to a suspended prison sentence of14 months for “incitement to racial violence and hatred and for racialinsults”. OnMarch 27, 2009, an Athens Five-Member Appeals Court acquitted Mr. Plevris,reversing the December 2007 judgment. On April 15, 2010, the Supreme Courtrejected a motion for cassation upholding the acquittal. Since the end of the first trial of Mr. Plevris,Mr. Dimitras has been threatened through messages posted on the Internet forumof the LAOS youth organisation. Furthermore, Mr. Plevris has launched severallegal actions for defamation including racist and defamatory comments againstMr. Dimitras, Ms. Gilbert, and Messrs. Moses Konstantinis, Benjamin Albala,Abraham Reitan and Leon Gavriilidis, who had all testified against him. Thelast legal action launched by Mr. Plevris is against Ms. Anna Stai, Ms. RenaKoutelou and Mr. Lambis Katsiapis, whose trial is due in December 6, 2010. Actions required: Please write to the Greek authorities, urgingthem to:

1. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Ms.Anna Stai, Ms. Rena Koutelou and Mr. Lambis Katsiapis, Mr. Panayote Dimitras,Ms. Andrea Gilbert, and Messrs. Benjamin Albalas, Leon Gavrilidis, MoisisKonstantinis, and Avraam Reitan;
2. Put an end to all acts harassment, including at the judicial level, against Ms.Anna Stai, Ms. Rena Koutelou and Mr. Lambis Katsiapis, Mr. Panayote Dimitras,Ms. Andrea Gilbert, and Messrs. Benjamin Albalas, Leon Gavrilidis, MoisisKonstantinis, and Avraam Reitan, as well as all human rights defenders inGreece;
3. Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders,adopted by the General Assembly on December 9, 1998, especially its Article 1,which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association withothers, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of humanrights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, aswell as above-mentioned Article 12.2;
4. More generally, ensure in all circumstances the respect for human rights andfundamental freedoms in accordance with international and regional human rightsinstruments ratified by Greece.

Addresses:

• Mr. George Α. Papandreou, Prime Minister, PrimeMinister’s Office at the Hellenic Parliament, Greek Parliament Blgd,Constitution Square, Athens, Greece. Fax:+30 210 6715799, Email: pressoffice@primeminister.gr
• Mr. Dimitris Droutsas, Foreign Minister, Athens, Greece, Fax: + 30210 3681433, Email: gpap@mfa.gr
• Mr. Charalampos Kastanidis, Ministerof Justice, Transparency and Human Rights, Athens, Greece, Fax +30 2107489231, E-mail: minjust@justice.gr
• Mr. Yorgos Kaminis, Ombudsman for Human Rights, Fax :+30 210 7289643
• H.E. George J. Kaklikis, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations in Geneva, Rue du Léman 4, 1201Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 732.21.50, Email: missionofgreece@bluewin.chor grdel.gva@mfa.gr
• Diplomatic Mission of Greece to the European Union, 25rue Montoyer, 1000 Brussels, Belgium, Fax: + 32 2 512 79 12 / + 32 2 551 56 51.

Please also write to the embassies of Greece inyour respective country. ***Geneva, October 11, 2010 Kindly inform us of any action undertakenquoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
[1] See OMCT Press release, 3September 2008, “Greece: Ongoing acts of harassmentagainst GHM-Case GRE 040408.1 - Follow up of Case GRE 040408”.