CALL FOR A STRUGGLING CAMPAIGN TOWARDS AN INTERNATIONAL DEMONSTRATION IN HAMBURG FOR THE RELEASE OF ALL THE PRISONERS DETAINED.
More than two weeks after the G20 summit, detention period for the comrades arrested in Hamburg is extending day after day. The ordinary court isn’t willing to prepare the cases for a trial in a short time – it is rumoured that the prisoners could be held in pre-trial custody up to 6 months. The public prosecutor’s office has denied any request for releases on bail or house arrest, claiming the arrested could abscond.
Although the strong arm of power reacted with its usual, brutal violence, it was shut down by the choral actions of the demonstrators during the anti-G20 days. That is why repression is now affecting the bodies of the prisoners.
The first letters from the inmates are arriving these days. Riccardo’s letter (https://ilmainasso.noblogs.org/post/2017/07/21/lettera-del-compagno-riccardo-dal-carcere-di-billwerder-amburgo/) was followed by Maria’s (a comrade from Feltre, arrested in the morning on 7th July and detained in Billwerder).
Maria’s letter is quoted hereunder:
Friday 14th July 2017
Today, two centuries ago, the People in arms took the Bastille by storm. Today, those who celebrate this founding date of current democracies, are raising new Bastilles everywhere. Nobody has to be kept in here. Nevermore. It’s too much for just one person. Here, all wearing the same grey clothes, are detained under-age people, pregnant women, women with their newborn babies and women that should be hospitalized. I know you are doing all that you can to take me out of here and I thank you. I’m sorry you’re worried about me. I received your telegram, actually I was hoping to be out today and thank you face-to-face. Instead I’m here again, the appeal has been rejected. I’m sure you will already know much more when you receive this letter anyway.
We were five people in the same situation here in my wing. The two german women were released on Wednesday, the girl from Venezuela went out today, but she was released on a 10.000 € bail. Yes, then thousand. I’m still here with a kurdish girl alone. She is so strong. She always has a positive attitude, even though she has two brothers killed fighting in Kurdistan. The only good things here are the relationships that grow between people. All the inmates are so nice and altruist. All of them are glad to give you a hug. For the rest I have no illusions about anything. The other day they took me out, along with two other inmates, under the pretext of taking us to meet our lawyers, instead they wanted to pull our DNA. One can only expect the worse here, and it’s not in my nature.
The first jail they put us into was a prefabricated building, with these little ten square meters rooms. We were five people inside that room, for two days, without anything, without windows, and we had to ask to drink and to go to the toilet with a prison guard that kept watch on you. Eating almost nothing. It’s a little better here, at least I have a bed and a toilet.
You will already know that I was put in jail only because I lingered to help a girl with a broken foot. Really broken, with the bone exposed and half of the foot detached. I don’t think I’ll ever get that out of my mind. That alongside the police beating with bare hands. And I didn’t believe it was possibile to go to prison for this, for having done nothing at all. Indeed all the inmates here are in jail for no big deal. Mostly theft.
Guys, please write something about what’s happening. Don’t stand in silence. If you want you can publish what I’m writing to you. I don’t know anything about Fabio instead, I’ve written to him but he hasn’t replied. He should be in the very same prison where I am detained. If you know something about him write to me, and write to me anyway. If you can put a stamp inside the envelope so that I can reply. I’m here at least until Wednesday. And from then on I don’t know.
I love you so much, all of you. A hug, I hope to come back soon.
Maria
Maria doesn’t know that Fabio is detained in Jork, thirty kilometers east of Hamburg, that he’s doing well and he has good relationships with the other inmates. He too was denied release on bail by the public prosecutor’s office, after the court’s proposal.
She doesn’t know that, unlike the two of them, Alessandro, Orazio, Emiliano and Riccardo are together in the male wing of the same jail she’s in, Billwerder ( Emiliano and Riccardo are in neighbouring cells).
Quoted hereunder are the words, dating from 24th July, of a comrade from Feltre who’s in touch with Fabio and Maria’s families:
″ Today we arrived in Hamburg and we met with their mothers.
They look quite peaceful even though the situation hasn’t changed. This morning Fabio was more serene than last Wednesday. There are some committees that made a demonstration supporting the arrested and that are trying to oppose this situation. The lawyers are working hard but german judiciary is doing everything to make things harder. Tomorrow we are going to the prison to bring Maria some clothes and we are trying to leave there some books too. Let’s see how it goes. ″
It’s been very hard to deliver books, clothes and other personal effects to the inmates so far. It is important nonetheless to write to them, using the addresses published for the ″ Scrivimi ″ campaign:
(http://www.osservatoriorepressione.info/scrivimi/)
Many initiatives are being taken: demonstrations outside the german embassies in Italy (http://www.ondarossa.info/newsredazione/2017/07/27-luglio-presidio-davanti-lambasciata), solidarity between comrades close to the italian arrested, in touch since the very first days, information campaigns on the radio. Moreover, there are many rallies and demonstrations supporting the G20 prisoners, from Bilbao to the german cities; among them, there was a very crowded demonstration in Hamburg, near the Rote Flora.
A rally outside Billwerder prison is scheduled for Sunday 6th August.
Therefore we are willing to gather contributions, sharing, ideas and proposals towards a large international demonstration in Hamburg for the release of all the prisoners. So that nobody is left alone, so that nobody is left behind.
FREE ALL PRISONERS!
The comrades of Postaz, self-managed space in Feltre (Italy)
mail: postaz@bastardi.net