About the 7 hunger strikers
AntI - 22.11.2003 21:00
THE REQUESTS FOR RELEASE OF THE HUNGER STRIKERS HAVE NOT BEEN ANSWERED.
Here follows a translation of the doctors' statement.
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DAYS OF HUNGERSTRIKE
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Souleiman Dakdouk - Kastro 63 days
Fernando Perez 49 days
Carlos Martin Martinez 49 days
Simon Chapman 49 days
Spiros Tsitsas 46 days
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HOSPITAL OF KORYDALLOS PRISON, Athens, Thursday 20/11/2003
MEDICAL CERTIFICATION
The signing Doctors Mrs Olga Kosmopoyloy, member of the Central Board of the Union of Doctors of Hospitals of Athens – Piraeus (EINAP), and Mr Athanassios Karampelis, member of the Administration of Federation of Hospital Doctors of Greece (OENGE), General Practitioners, today, Thursday 20/11/2003 we examined in the Hospital of the Korydallos prison after a request of their advocates, the detained demonstrators strikers of hunger Mr Spiros Tsitsas, Mr Carlos Martin-Martinez, Mr Simon Chapman, and Mr Solaiman Dakdouk, and certify the following:
Comparatively with before one week, Thursday November 13, when we had examined them for the first time, today November 20 the situation of all has worsened. More specifically:
Mr Spiros Tsitsas has very low Arterial Pressure (AP) when laying down, 75/50 of mm Hg, that falls much lower, 60/40, when he stands, so that it is almost not possible to measure, so that he cannot stand upright, cannot even keep his head up to look at us because he gets dizzy. We escorted him to his cell, despite the protests of the guards, supporting him for the fear of a fall. He continuously has drowsiness and intense dizziness. He has not defecated for at least one month. He urinates only 1 (occasionally 2) times a day, and has oliguria, which implies likely damage of kidneys, if he has not already suffered damage of kidney operation. He reports that he cannot drink liquids, they disgust him and he avoids them, asking to be transported again to an organised hospital. He has weakened so much that he reminds photographs of detainees in nazi concentration camps of World War II. His general situation is considered particularly critical, he is in the worst situation from all the strikers of hunger, and has need of direct hospitalisation in an organised Public Hospital.
Mr Carlos Martin-Martinez has very low Arterial Pressure (AP) when laying down, 75/40 of mm Hg (with 60 pulses (?)), that falls much lower, 65/30 with tachycardia (with 100 pulses(?), because of intense orthostatic hypotension) when he stands, so that it is almost not possible to measure, so that he cannot to stand upright for more than a few minutes with dizziness and intense tendency to faint. So much has he weakened that it is characteristic that the manometer did not fit his arm (he needed a children's manometer!, and we know that in such cases the real pressure can be even lower!). He has not defecated for at least one month. He has severe gingivitis that needs treatment. He presents shivers and numbness in the hands and legs and intense pains in all the body and in the muscles so that he cannot sleep at night. He presents frequent symptoms of hypoglycemia, and then he cannot see well and he cannot read. Not only does he deny food but he cannot even drink enough liquids, he drinks only 1 glass water the last days (except for yesterday that he took 3 or 4 glasses water), and he asks to be transported again to an organised Public Hospital.
His general situation is considered particularly critical, and with Spyros Tsitsas they are the two more aggravated from all the strikers of hunger, and he has need of direct hospitalisation in an organised Public Hospital.
Mr Simon Chapman has very low AP when laying down, 75/50 of mm Hg, that falls still lower 70/50 when he stands up, so that he can remain upright only for a little, because he faints. Particularly the last 15 days he has dizziness when he stands, also intense tendency for fainting. He has lost over 20 kilos and has not defecated at least for 3 weeks. He presents friction in the pneumonic base and evident pliktrodaktylia that implies likely serious lung disease in development. His general situation is considered very serious and overloaded, and he has need of direct hospitalisation in an organised Public Hospital.
Mr Solaiman Dakdouk has low AP when laying down, 85/55 of mm Hg, that falls still lower 75/50 when he stands up, so that he can remain upright only for little, because he faints. He has lost over 20 kilos and has not defecated at least for 25 days. He has weakened severely and has evident atrophy and loss of muscular masses with intense muscular weakness, reduction until disappearance of tendon reflexives, and generalised hair loss. He has severe gingivitis that needs treatment. His sight has been considerably worsened since the previous examination before one week, and now he asks from his comrades to read to him, because now after a few seconds he cannot read anymore. His general situation is considered very serious and critical, and has need of direct hospitalisation in an organised Public Hospital.
All fourstrikers of hunger are unstable haemodynamically with direct danger to suffer shock, serious infections and irreparable damage of vital organs, such as kidneys, liver, central nervous system etc. Their development is unpredictable and it can at any moment worsen itself rapidly with serious danger of irreparable damage of their health. There exists direct danger even for their life.
The signers, we certify responsibly that their immediate release and their immediate hospitalisation in a Public Hospital are absolutely necessary and urgent for the salvation of their health and their life.
THE DOCTORS
OLGA KOSMOPOYLOY ATHANASIOS KARAMPELIS
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Yesterdays action report from London
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2003-11-21, waiting for decision from Greek gov.
Solidarity Actions at London Embassy, supporters ask "Who are the real terrorists?"
The Greek Justice Minister has ordered a decision be made by today, Friday 21st November, on what to do about the five hungerstrikers arrested while protesting outside an EU Summit in Thessaloniki, Greece, exactly five months ago. They are all in a critical condition of deteriorating health. The five are part of what has come to be known as the 'Thessaloniki Seven', consisting of a Londonder, two men from Spain, a Greek national and a Syrian refugee living in Crete, plus two Greek minors. The Seven have been charged with identical crimes, including throwing petrol bombs, rioting and even insurrection. They face up to 25 years in prison.
In London today, a delegation of two members of the Thessaloniki Prisoner Support Group was recieved at the Greek embassy in Holland Park, where they handed an urgent letter of appeal to the Ambassador. They wanted assurances that he had watched video evidence, recorded by Greek news television, which casts serious doubt over the integrity of the arrests made on the day (letter and video available on www.freesimonchapman.org).
In particular, the video shows one of the Seven, UK activist Simon Chapman, beaten by riot cops and presented with black bags containing molotov petrol bombs and other weapons. The Greek government are trying to portray these peaceful protesters as dangerous terrorists, but other, new video evidence presented to Greek court last week shows the police filling identical black bags with molotovs, which the protesters were then forced to carry. We ask: "who are the real terrorists?"
Although the video evidence has been shown on Greek television, as well as the BBC and widely circulated on the internet, all seven have been consistently denied bail. They are likely to be held without trial for 18 months. Because of this, and the fact the the judge in charge of their case refuses to even look at the video evience, five of the seven have gone on hungerstrike. Their demands are very simple; to all be given bail until trial and for Suleiman "Kastro" Dakduk not to be deported back to Syria, where he faces certain repression due to past trade union activity. Today is day 61 of the hungerstrike for Kastro - as far as we know, no-one has ever survived longer than 70 days.
Simon Chapman and the two Spanish prisoners, Carlos Martinez and Fernando Perrez, have been on hungerstrike since 5th October (47 days). Spiros Tsitsas started refusing food on 8th October (44 days). Three of the five have been transferred to civilian hospital, while Simon and Kastro are in maximum-security Koridallos prison in Athens. All have stated that they will continue the hungerstrike until their bail demands are met.
Recent gas-bomb attacks in Athens have been linked by Greek authorities to the hungerstrike, but according to supporters in Greece the perpetrators have nothing to do with the cause of the Seven and these attacks were in reality associated with the arrival of an FBI delegation to Athens to oversee security at next year's Olympic games. We urge all supporters to understand that the hungerstrikers have no control over what is done 'in their name', and are all personally committed to non-violent methods of protest.
The authorites are constantly moving the prisoners around and have made it impossible to for them to communicate as a group. Two of them are close to slipping into a coma and as such no kind of group statement on these attacks can be made yet, except that they all believe that the only way the Greek government will give them even basic justice is if they are pressured into doing so, and they have chosen hungerstriking as the only option available to them. Their beliefs have been bourne out: mainstream media coverage and Greek government manouvering has only materialised since the hungerstrike began.
The Greek authorities must now make the decision whether to release the hungerstrikers on bail or let them die. That decision is expected today. The Greek justice minister is quoted as saying "Greek justice will be done." With Greece responsable for the security and policing of the Olympic games next year, the world is watching just what form this "Greek justice" will take. If the hungerstrikers are refused bail, and start falling into comas or dying, Greece will have these deaths on its hands, and their image as a civilised country capable of holding a major event such as the Olympics will be shattered. We hope it does not come to this, and that these brave men's human rights will at last be respected.
 Website: http://thessaloniki.indymedia.org/?lang=en
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