Συνέντευξή
του Σάββα Μιχαήλ στην Jungewelt με θέμα την δίκη της 3η Σεπτεμβρίου
(γερμανική νεολαιίστικη κομμουνιστική εφημερίδα, κυκλοφορία 17.000
φύλλα)
You will stand trial on September 3 in Athens, together with the former rector of the National Technical University in Athens, on charges of defamation and incitement to violence raised by the Nazi party of "Golden Dawn". How did these charges come about?
In the Spring of 2009, in the aftermath of the Greek youth revolt of December 2008, the Greek right wing government with the assistance of the Nazi group "Golden Dawn" ( then marginal in terms of vote) have unleashed violent pogroms against the imigrants, particularly in the Aghios Panteleimon area of Athens. The Greek left have organized a number of anti-fascist demonstrations , in which the EEK took part. The Nazis of the "Golden Dawn" deposed then a legal action against all the parties of the Left, from the KKE(Communist Party of Greece) and Syriza to the ANTARSYA and the EEK, against immigrant associations, independent personalities etc. with various accusations. This legal action of the Nazi "Golden Dawn" was resurrected" by the right wing Samaras government in 2012, when the police took the order to start interrogations of all those targeted by the Nazis, who now are in parliament. On June 2013, from the long list of those accused( about 80), two were selected,: Savas Mikhail-Matsas of th4 EEK and Konstantinos Moutzouris, the former Dean of the National Technical University of Athens.
What exactly are you accused of writing? And Moutzouris?
I am accused for a leaflet of May 2009 that appeared in our newspaper "NEA PROOPTIKI"( New Perspective) and in our web site, signed by the name of our Party EEK and calling for participation to the antifascist demonstrations. As general secretary of the party , according to my accusers, I am responsible for this leaflet.although it did not have my signature, as well as for all the activities of the party.
The fact that I am a Jew makes my case worst: in the Internet, they publishesd death menaces against me- with slogans such as "Crash the Jweish vermine" etc.- saying that "a World Jewsih Conspiracy sent me in Greece to foment civil war to establish a "Judeo-Bolshevik regime".
The charge on "diffamation' refers to our condemnation of the criminal violent activities of this group against the immigrants. The slogan "smash fasicm" is considered as " incitement to violence", and the call for participation to the demonstration as "disturbing the civil peace".
The former dean of the national Technical University of Athens Mr Konstantinos Moutzouris is accused to allow the Indymedia web site to broadcast from the university campus.
The fascists presented their charges in 2009, in the context of the massive youth revolt of late 2008. Why did they choose this legal path to attack?
They combine this legal path (as Le Pen's French National Front did and does) to provide a framework for State attacks agains the Left. These "legal" means are always combined with totally illegal means of physical attacks against us as well as against other leftists and anarchists, and against the immigrant communities or the Jewish synagogues and cemeteries..
You will stand trial on September 3 in Athens, together with the former rector of the National Technical University in Athens, on charges of defamation and incitement to violence raised by the Nazi party of "Golden Dawn". How did these charges come about?
In the Spring of 2009, in the aftermath of the Greek youth revolt of December 2008, the Greek right wing government with the assistance of the Nazi group "Golden Dawn" ( then marginal in terms of vote) have unleashed violent pogroms against the imigrants, particularly in the Aghios Panteleimon area of Athens. The Greek left have organized a number of anti-fascist demonstrations , in which the EEK took part. The Nazis of the "Golden Dawn" deposed then a legal action against all the parties of the Left, from the KKE(Communist Party of Greece) and Syriza to the ANTARSYA and the EEK, against immigrant associations, independent personalities etc. with various accusations. This legal action of the Nazi "Golden Dawn" was resurrected" by the right wing Samaras government in 2012, when the police took the order to start interrogations of all those targeted by the Nazis, who now are in parliament. On June 2013, from the long list of those accused( about 80), two were selected,: Savas Mikhail-Matsas of th4 EEK and Konstantinos Moutzouris, the former Dean of the National Technical University of Athens.
What exactly are you accused of writing? And Moutzouris?
I am accused for a leaflet of May 2009 that appeared in our newspaper "NEA PROOPTIKI"( New Perspective) and in our web site, signed by the name of our Party EEK and calling for participation to the antifascist demonstrations. As general secretary of the party , according to my accusers, I am responsible for this leaflet.although it did not have my signature, as well as for all the activities of the party.
The fact that I am a Jew makes my case worst: in the Internet, they publishesd death menaces against me- with slogans such as "Crash the Jweish vermine" etc.- saying that "a World Jewsih Conspiracy sent me in Greece to foment civil war to establish a "Judeo-Bolshevik regime".
The charge on "diffamation' refers to our condemnation of the criminal violent activities of this group against the immigrants. The slogan "smash fasicm" is considered as " incitement to violence", and the call for participation to the demonstration as "disturbing the civil peace".
The former dean of the national Technical University of Athens Mr Konstantinos Moutzouris is accused to allow the Indymedia web site to broadcast from the university campus.
The fascists presented their charges in 2009, in the context of the massive youth revolt of late 2008. Why did they choose this legal path to attack?
They combine this legal path (as Le Pen's French National Front did and does) to provide a framework for State attacks agains the Left. These "legal" means are always combined with totally illegal means of physical attacks against us as well as against other leftists and anarchists, and against the immigrant communities or the Jewish synagogues and cemeteries..
How do you analyze the rise of the fascist party "Golden Dawn", which went from a tiny neonazi splitter group to a party with 21 members of parliament?
The
rise of the Nazis is insolubly connected with the desrtruction of the
living standards and the mass unemployment and pauperization of
millions of people, especially among the middle classes in Greece, the
last three years after the imposition of the draconean measures of
"austerity" by the troika of the EU, the ECB and the IMF. In a
situation of social tragedy, and social polarization, the traditional
bourgeois political system that ruled the country for decades and led
it to bankruptcy has collapsed totaly dscredited , a major part of the
population turns to the left catapulting the left reformist SYRIZA to
the postion of the Official Opposition, while, another smaller but
substantial part of the population turned to the far right..
[What does it say about their connections in the state apparatus that the prosecutor decided to follow up on these charges?]
The rise of the Nazis is not solely a product of the social economic crisis but of teh politcal regime crisis as well. The Nazis have connections with the repressive State apparatuses from the time of the Greek civil war in the 1940s onwards, during and after the military dictatorship of 1967-74, and even afterwards, particulalry during and after the December 2008 revolt.. Now, because of the regime crisis , the ruling class and the State finance, help with various means, and protect the Nazis from any punishment in courts for their criminal activities and collaborate closely with them in pogroms against the immigrants all over the country. It is not accidental the fact that the majority of the police force voted in the last 2012 elections for the Golden Dawn( about 50 per cent)
How do you think is necessary to stop the fascist danger in Greece?
It is absoluetey urgent to forge a United Front of all the organiziations of the working class, of the immigrants , and of the left against the Nazis. The development of social solidarity networks is also very important to face the void left by the collapse of the welfare state, a void that the Nazis demagocically try to fill for "Greeks only". Workers Defense Guards against the fascist storm troops and provocations are crucial.
But above all, we have to fight for a socialist way out from the current systemic crisis with the implementation of an urgent program of measures against the social catastrophe, to bring down the capitalist anti-popular government ot the servants of the troika, to abolish the debt to the international usurers of capilat , to end the measures of social cannibalism , for a workers government and for workers power, for a common internatinalist struggle with the workers all over Europe against the imperialist EU and for a United Socialist Europe.
[What does it say about their connections in the state apparatus that the prosecutor decided to follow up on these charges?]
The rise of the Nazis is not solely a product of the social economic crisis but of teh politcal regime crisis as well. The Nazis have connections with the repressive State apparatuses from the time of the Greek civil war in the 1940s onwards, during and after the military dictatorship of 1967-74, and even afterwards, particulalry during and after the December 2008 revolt.. Now, because of the regime crisis , the ruling class and the State finance, help with various means, and protect the Nazis from any punishment in courts for their criminal activities and collaborate closely with them in pogroms against the immigrants all over the country. It is not accidental the fact that the majority of the police force voted in the last 2012 elections for the Golden Dawn( about 50 per cent)
How do you think is necessary to stop the fascist danger in Greece?
It is absoluetey urgent to forge a United Front of all the organiziations of the working class, of the immigrants , and of the left against the Nazis. The development of social solidarity networks is also very important to face the void left by the collapse of the welfare state, a void that the Nazis demagocically try to fill for "Greeks only". Workers Defense Guards against the fascist storm troops and provocations are crucial.
But above all, we have to fight for a socialist way out from the current systemic crisis with the implementation of an urgent program of measures against the social catastrophe, to bring down the capitalist anti-popular government ot the servants of the troika, to abolish the debt to the international usurers of capilat , to end the measures of social cannibalism , for a workers government and for workers power, for a common internatinalist struggle with the workers all over Europe against the imperialist EU and for a United Socialist Europe.
