Cyprus IndyMedia computers seized illegally by Police; members interrogated and harassed

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Thursday August 06, 2015 13:03 by Editorial Collective - Cyprus IndyMedia collective at cyprusindymedia dot org

State repression of IndyMedia by the Government of Cyprus

o- An article was published on the Cyprus IndyMedia website that made fun of the Minister of Health Philippos Patsalis: this became the pretext for the Police Electronic Crimes Unit to seize two of our computers from the home and office of Petros Evdokas, a founding member of our Editorial Collective. Additionally, Police harrassed his elderly parents, as well as the parents of Solon Antartis who is also a founding member of the Collective.

o- Petros himself was subjected to an hour and a half long interrogation about the "crime" of publishing political satyre targeting the Minister.

o- We are fighting it at the Supreme Court, and preparing to go to the European Court of Human Rights. The case is one of gross violation of Constitutional Rights, including the Right to Freedom of Speech; the Right to Privacy; the Right to protection from illegal Search and Seizure; the Right to protection of one's communications and correspondence.

o- Three Parliamentary parties have already issued statements of support for us and condemnations of the arbitrary abuse of power by the Police. All of the main newspapers (both online and printed Press) have issued strong criticisms of the Government for this, and have republished sections of the controversial article. The Press Officer of the Chief of Police was forced to make statements to the public on the matter, trying to defend the indefensible, i.e. presenting the pretext as a "valid Police investigation into a crime".

o- The article in question is a strong condemnation of the stance kept by the Minister of Health against patients and injured people who file requests for his permission to use Medical Cannabis. These official requests and personal pleas by suffering and dying people went totally ignored by the Minister (he did not even have the decency to reject their applications). Our article on the subject registered more readers within 24 hours than the circulation of any of the newspapers in the country.

o- Both of our editors have been repeatedly targeted for more than a decade by illegitimate actions of the authorities and by the illegal, extra-judicial arms of the deep state (state within the State). There is a long documented history of this - and it makes us more determined to continue upholding the Values and Principles of our mission for social Justice.

o- Your help and support is invaluable: you can help us and we need you!

► Please sign our Petition of solidarity and protest that is addressed to the Government of Cyprus, here:
"To the Government of Cyprus"
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Government_of_Cypr...roups

► Please republish this article, and also the one below that contains all the details of this sordid affair:
"Cyprus IndyMedia computers seized illegally by Police; members interrogated and harassed"
http://cyprus.indymedia.org/node/5009