The front entrance of Domokos Prison
The Type C ward in Domokos Prison was launched on Deccember the 30th with the transfer of Nikos Maziotis -member of the Revolutionary Struggle- from Diavata where he was previously held, while the transfer of ten criminal prisoners from Korydallos took place on New Year’s Eve, during the closing down of the prison at noon.
Today, on January the 2nd, the MoJ Charalambos Athansiou staged the third act of his distasteful play, with the transfer of G. Sarafoudis and I. Naxakis, anarchists convicted for their participation in the ”Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei” , Demetris Koufontinas, member of the 17N and Kostas Gournas, participant of the first cycle of action of the Revolutionary Struggle. Along with them, A. Ghiotopoulos and V. Tzortzatos, convicted for participation in the 17N, were also included.
The most farsical part of this “law and order” fiesta was that three of the transferees to the special ward in Domokos Prison (two of which were convicted for the kidnapping of the shipowner P. Panagopoulos along with the anarchist G. Sarafoudis) must return back to Korydallos Penitentiary within a week since their ongoing trials are estimated to last for about about a year.
Given that Domokos Prison was initially designed as a supermax facility and operates based on the standards set by Bentham’s panopticon with the addition of high technology, the Ministry of Justice is struggling to justify the provocatively high funding that has been approved for the creation of the Greek Guantanamo. So, after the installation of high technology cameras for the inspection of the interior of the radius and the daily lives of prisoners, as well as the installation of state-of -the-art metal and drug detectors used to check newcomers and visitors, now working prisoners under the instructions of prison guards are installing thick barbed wire in order to prevent the already limited view to the sky, creating an asphyxiating atmosphere bordering on torture.
It is worth noting that the rest of the wards of Domokos Prison operate under the same regime and implement the same conditions and the same rigidity as the Type C ward. The prisoners there are held hostages of the rehabilitation system. A typical example of this condition is D. Baltas, a prisoner denied of his right to furloughs with the excuse that he is imprisoned in a type C facility, despite the fact that he does not fall into this category of prisoners nor is he detained in the type C ward.
Characteristic is also the sadistic inspiration to prohibit the use of Mp3 players and usb sticks, items permissible in all prisons, which allow prisoners to listen to music, given that the prison is located in a remote area where the only available radio station is the second program of the national broadcasting corporation. The removal of the horizontal bar from the Type C ward, although it’s an essential equipment for physical exercise and a means to diffuse the tension of prisoners, has led the prison service to blame the police forces regarding this matter.
Source: Εξελίξεις στις φυλακές Δομοκού και τις πτέρυγες τύπου Γ’
Translation: BlackCat
