(by way of bozo@kaapeli.fi)Subject: [co] Arrest of Greek COs
Sender: owner-co-list@katto.kaapeli.fi
Arrest of conscientious objector Lazaros Petromelides, 36 years old,
father of 1 child.
Athens, 27th of May 1998
The Association of the Greek Conscientious Objectors,
denounces the arrest by the police of Lazaros Petromelides, today, 27th of
May 1998. Lazaros Petromelides is being held at the Drapetsona police
station and will be handed over tomorrow to the admiralty court of Pireus,
as according to the adviser of the Minister of Public Order "he is very
dangerous for the public's safety".
The arrest and detention of L. Petromelides is illegal. Police has denied
to materialise the ministery's decision 420/81/563696208-11, according to
which if a CO is arrested, he must be handed over to the competent military
court on the same day, which also releases him on the same day, applying
law 2510/97.
These are attempts of the Greek Government to make life of CO's intolerable.
Previously:
* Arrest of total objector G. Meriziotis last weekend
* Rejection of L. Petromelides application to serve civil service
* Systematic high-handed acts of military authorities against CO's who
apply to perform civil service.
The Association of the Greek Conscientious Objectors denounces the
submission of the Greek Government to the militarists and the Greek
Orthodox church and asks all of you to take actions for the immidiate
release of Lazaros Petromelides and G. Meriziotis; for the application of
the law regarding civil service in Greece; for the improvement in applying
this law and finally to decriminalize total objection for conscientious
reasons.
Please notice that arrest warrents for all CO's are still valid, which
means that even those who wish to join the civil service can not aquire the
required documents from public organizations (for example certificates from
the police).
CO's against whom arrest warrents have been issued cannot travel abroad,
not even within the European Community.
We remind you of the vote of the European Parliament, asking the Greek
Government to stop persecuting CO's, to relieve the first CO's from any
kind of service and to allow them to travel freely abroad.
Please send protest letters to the:
Minister of National Defence
Stratopedo Papagou
Holargos
GR -155 00 Athens
GREECE
Fax: +30 1 6443832
E.mail: minister@mod.gr
Minister of Public Order
Mesogeion & Katechaki 1
GR -115 25 Athens
GREECE
E.mail: ydt@otenet.gr
and copies to us:
Association of the Greek CO's
Valtetsiou 35
GR-106 82 Athens
GREECE
Fax: +30 1 3840390
E.mail: dimchloe@ath.forthnet.gr
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