Lawyers Thanasis Kampagiannis and Costas Papadakis were arrested on Sunday and a case was filed against them for “violating the extraordinary measures banning public gatherings.”
The two lawyers are among some 100 people police detained in Athens alone for being close to the Memorial of boy Alexis Grigoropoulos to commemorate the 12th anniversary of his murder by a police officer.
After the case was filed, the two lawyers were released and they filed calling for disciplinary action against the Police Director of Attica and another high-ranking police officer for violating Article 34 of the Bar Code – obstruction to exercise their duties- as well as for violation of Article 285 of the Penal Code -protection measures against COVID-19 – during their detention.
Together with health workers, unionists and ordinary people, the two lawyers were in Police Headquarters in space without proper ventilation and with no space for social distancing.
The lawyers denounced that “80 people held in a single holding cell along with police officers searching their bags and oter items with the same gloves, thus breaking lockdown measures designed to protect public health>
It is recalled that the two lawyers, members of the civil suit in the Golden Dawn trial, were brought together with dozens of other citizens at noon in the Police HQ the center of Athens, in a “show off of authoritarianism” some media note.
Ο Θανάσης Καμπαγιαννης ζητά να μην παραβιαστούν τα υγειονομικά μέτρα κατά τη διάρκεια των προσαγωγών #Γρηγοροπουλος #6Δεκεμβρη pic.twitter.com/tjDuq5wWUw
— Savvas Karmaniolas (@savvaskarma) December 6, 2020
The lawyers had reportedly identified themselves as being there with their “institutional capacity.”
“I am here in an institutional capacity and you know it and even though I was introduced to you as a lawyer, you are bringing me in ” Kampagiannis told the police officer who responded ” Yes, I know, I know, get in [the police bus] and we will see.”
«Είμαι εδώ με θεσμική ιδιότητα και το ξέρετε και παρότι σας συστήθηκα ως δικηγόρος εσείς με προσάγεται» είπε πριν τον βάλουν στην κλούβα ο Θανάσης Καμπαγιάννης με τον αστυνομικό να απαντά «ναι, το ξέρω το ξέρω, περάστε στην κλούβα και θα το δούμε». #grigoropoulos
— ThePressProject (@ThePressProject) December 6, 2020
In the video below, Kampagiannis tells police “none of them violates the coronavirus measures” and asks that protection measures are kept during the detention. The police officer agrees.
Ο Θανάσης Καμπαγιαννης ζητά να μην παραβιαστούν τα υγειονομικά μέτρα κατά τη διάρκεια των προσαγωγών #Γρηγοροπουλος #6Δεκεμβρη pic.twitter.com/tjDuq5wWUw
— Savvas Karmaniolas (@savvaskarma) December 6, 2020
In a statement the President of the Bar Association in Athens spoke of an “unprecedented action by the police authorities that prevented the lawyers carrying out their duties, violates the essence of the legal function and seriously affects the core of the rule of law.”
He called on the immediate observance of the Code of Criminal Procedure that does not allow the detention of lawyers in express procedures and described the whole incident as “demonstration of power and authoritarianism”
Διαμαρτυρία του Δικηγορικού Συλλόγου Αθηνών.
Συνήγοροι της οικογένειας Φύσσα: Μακάρι να έδειχναν τόσο ζήλο για τη σύλληψη του Χρήστου Παππάhttps://t.co/GNj5nXcBeE— EFSYN (@EFSYNTAKTON) December 6, 2020
The lawyers of the Fyssas family said in a statement they wished the police leadership would show the same zeal to arrest the fugitive Golden Dawn convict Christos Pappas.
Among the detainees was also a member of the City Council of Athens.
Προσαγωγη μου τωρα στη ΓΑΔΑ. Αν ο Αλεξης ζουσε θα ηταν μαζι μας στις πυλες των νοσοκομειων και στο αγωνα γθα την ανατροπη της κυβερνησης. Δεν θα περασουν! pic.twitter.com/LHti5ClbAK
— ΠΕΤΡΟΣ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥ (@petros_constant) December 6, 2020
An underage detainee suffered an epilepsy seizure and police refuse to call a doctor. First aid was given by a doctor among the detainees and another lawyer.
Αιμόφερτος ένας από τους συλληφθέντες στην ΓΑΔΑ. Βγάζει αίμα από το στόμα, έπαθε κρίση επιληψίας. Δεν έχουν ειδοποιηθεί συγγενείς. Νηστικοί διψασμένοι και στοιβαγμένοι οι συλληφθέντες στην ΓΑΔΑ
— Kriton Arsenis (@karsenis) December 6, 2020
A doctor working at the ICU of a hospital in Athens was also among the detainees.
According to unconfirmed information posted on social media late on Sunday night, the detentions have been turned into arrests.
Later in the evening a crowd consisting of municipality members and residents nicely gathered outside the Municipality Theater of Pireaus to attend the lighting up of the Christmas Tree and other decorations.
PS all these detentions today reminds me so of …Turkey, the country we all condemn for being authoritarian, arresting lawyers and activists and every critical voice it considers as “enemy of the state.”
