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by soshalkidiki
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On March 1st 2015, the three-member Council of Judges
of the Misdemeanor Court of Halkidiki issued an indictment for the Skouries
case. According to the indictment, twenty one individuals are to appear in the
Felony Appeal Court of Thessaloniki - all facing heavy charges among which are
the formation of a criminal organization, attempted manslaughter, and robbery.
The indictment wholly adopts the security police
account of the events at Skouries, while the District Attorney fully accepts the
reasoning of “Hellas Gold” and the Canadian Eldorado Gold Corp. with reference
to the legality of the company's mining operations. Furthermore, the indictment
attempts to associated local inhabitants' protest -in whichever form- against
gold mining with the operation and activity of a criminal organization. Will
this obsession with criminal organizations continue to persist when it is
proven that “Hellas Gold” is destroying the land and has consciously violated
laws and rules?
The judges' decision was announced a few days after
one of “Hellas Gold” permits and approvals for the construction of the
processing plant in Skouries were revoked, in order to be reinspected. It
should be also noted that the two recent decisions of the Council of State
regarding appeals against the approval of “Hellas Gold's” EIS were issued
immediately following the new government's policy statements calling for a
reevaluation of “Hellas Gold” permits, while the appeals had been heard in
court in June 2012.
The timing involved in the issuing of the above
decisions leads to a number of legitimate questions. Is it a coincidence that
decisions which have been reached a long time ago -and which target the social
movement against gold mining- are announced immediately following the challenge
to “Hellas Gold's” credibility and legality? Given the fact that these
decisions create a situation which affects the social and political climate, is
it not reasonable for one to think that the choice of these decisions' timing
serves purposes beyond the investigation of truth and the administering of
justice?
We have learned how to struggle against all odds. We
endured throughout the state repression of governments who followed the dogma
of “furthering investments at all costs”. We endured throughout the attempted
criminalization of our struggle. We endured throughout the time when our
substantiated and documented charges against a plethora of “Hellas Gold”
violations were ignored by the state inspection mechanisms. We endured when
court decisions put the economic interests above the destruction of our land
and our right to defend our lives.
Our fellow citizens -and companions in this struggle-
who are under prosecution shall be tried with the whole of society at their
side. In these trials, the whole of society shall be sitting in the court's
judgment seat. And societies cannot be put on trial. Because social struggles
are neither legal, or illegal. They are just!
Coordinating
committee of Ierissos
against gold mining
against gold mining
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