Updates for Dimitris Koufontinas, hunger striker since 2/5

Event Datum: 
Dienstag, Mai 21, 2019 - 19:30
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Updates for Dimitris Koufontinas, hunger striker since 2/5

The political prisoner Dimitris Koufontinas is in a critical medical condition. He is now facing a high danger of multiple organic failure due to his 18th day of hunger strike and has been transported to the Intensive Care Unit of the state hospital of Volos. This was furthermore the reason which concerned the doctors and led to the decision to move the hunger striker to the ICU. Since D. Koufontinas only drinks water and declines any remedy, carbohydrate metabolism disorders are continuous and the doctors are concerned about a possible appearance of hypoglycaemia, which could endanger brain functions. The main problem is that after so many days of exhausting hunger strike and with an already weakened health condition, D. Koufontinas has no external source of energy and by now consumes any energy that exists in his body. 

The torture continued since his transport to the hospital of Volos. Instead of a regular patient's room, he was put in a storage room on the second basement floor next to the morgue. At the same time the district attorney of Volos, issued a compulsory feeding and resuscitation in case of consciousness loss. Two weeks ago, Koufontinas stated this out clearly in the following letter;

To the Director of the hospital service,

I accepted to be transported to your hospital, after pressure, in order to find an appropriate medical environment (medical support workers), since I have been on hunger strike since 2/5. The conditions during my sojourn here, in the storage room of the 2nd basement in the hospital’s building, next to the morgue room, compose inhuman treatment and torture. That' s why, I demand to be transported immediately in an appropriate hospital clinic, to have the proper presence of prompted nurses for the essential coverage of a person’s needs.

Otherwise I declare that; 

I do not want to remain anymore in your hospital and I also state and sign with all my liability that I want to return back immediately to the EAKKN Kassaveteias, in my previous prison cell where I will continue my hunger strike

AND 

until then, I will not accept any visit and medical care from any doctor or nurse from your hospital, which I consider beforehand tokenism and offensive, and I also declare that I won't consent to any similar attempt which composes violent and forced hospitalisation, against my will. This statement is not in any case directed against the medical and nursing staff who are conscientiously doing their job, under adverse conditions.

9/5/2019

Dimitris Koufontinas

2nd Basement. 

Few hours later, although he had already refused to give blood, they told him that on last Friday he will be transported to a “normal” clinic. On Thursday, the Counterfeiting Council of Volos met in order to examine the attorney veto. This is their usual tactic in order to extend as much as possible the torture of political prisoner’s hunger strike. 

We demand that this torture comes to an end immediately. Dimitris Koufontinas' right on a regular prison permit, he is entitled to, must be satisfied right away. 

You treat me not as a judicial but as political enemy. Therefore I take the red thread of resistance again and start hunger strike.”This reply was given by D. Koufontinas to the attorney Konstantinou, who made use his veto against the positive positioning of both the head of prison and the social worker in the prison's council concerning the permit issue.

The options that were presented to Koufontinas were clear. He should either sign a declaration of repentance, or would not receive his regular permit. He was left with no choice but the ultimate mean of a prisoner, the hunger strike. They expected his reaction, as he is not a person that would choose humiliation, disclamation of his struggling identity, crampling of his dignity and of his revolutionary honor. D. Koufontinas is not on a hunger strike for a new right. He is claiming a legal right, for which he fulfills all requirements, given to him six times before and now dismissed arbitrarily. In the age of 61 and in an unstable medical condition since his last hunger strike (less than a year ago), he has been forced into hunger again. 

In the meantime the solidarity movement has moved on to several actions in Athens and other cities (interventions in the metro, demonstrations in Athens, Patras, Thesaloniki and outside of the hospital in Volos, interventions in pre-election rallies of Syriza and several attacks on state buildings, institutions and multinational stores) and is expected to continue with bigger intense the following crucial days. 

Latest Updates: The Counterfeiting Council of Volos in the first place declined UNANIMOUSLY D. Koufontina’s request of his regular permit. On Friday night, the Attorney of the Supreme Court Xeni Dimitriou, appealed against the judgement of the prison council of Volos. The appeal was discussed today on Tuesday 21/05. The final decision is expected to come out in the next 24hrs. 

Freedom for ALL

UNTIL THE DESTRUCTION OF THE LAST PRISON!

 

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