STATEMENT by Left and trade union activists of Saint Petersburg and Leningrad region

On September 3, a trial of Savas Michael-Matsas, the Workers' Revolutionary Party militant, and Konstantinos Moutzouris, the former rector of the National Technical University, is to be held in Athens. Savas is accused of "defamation" and "incitement to violence". These charges refer to distribution of leaflets with the slogan: "Smash fascism!" The case has been initiated due to a complaint by the "Golden Dawn" party, justly characterized as neo-Nazi. Konstantinos Moutzouris is accused of allowing to use the university servers for operating the Indymedia site.

We regard this trial as a political one. We see this as an attempt to use the court as an instrument of partisan interests [of the "Golden Dawn"] and, on the other hand, as a persecution of Left activists for
their anti-fascist activities and a violation of the Internet freedom and freedom of speech. We call the Greek law enforcement bodies not to take side of the neo-Nazi party and not to hinder the free
distribution of information. The case against Savas Michael-Matsas and Konstantinos Moutzouris should be dropped.

Signatures:
Petr Prinyov (the "Rot Front" party)

Leonid Rodin ("Novoprof" trade union association)

Andrey Kan (International Marxist Tendency, Interregional Car Workers' Union)
Vladimir Makarov (Pulkovo airport ground service workers' union, the
"Rot Front" party)
Alexander Nazarov ("Novoprof" trade union association)
Elena Iskrova (Revolutionary Communist Youth League - bolsheviks)
Maxim Kulaev ("Novoprof" trade union association)