Gipfelinfo: Göteborg -- Genua

Gipfelinfo - Meldungen über globalisierte Solidarität
und die Proteste gegen unsolidarische Globalisierung
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- No extradition of Maarten
- Update on the prisoners in Italy
- Brandanschlag in Kreuzberg

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No extradition of Maarten

Maarten, an activist from Amsterdam, will have his courtcase about being
extradited to Sweden on August 12th. The Swedish Justice department asked
for his extradition in connection with events during the EU-summit in
Gothenburg in 2001. We call upon everyone to be present at the trial,
August 12th, at 3 o'clock on the Parnassusweg 220 (Amsterdam). To protest
against the injustice in the courtcases and to show our solidarity with the
victims of Gothenburg.

The after-effects of the European Summit held in Gothenburg from June
14-15, 2001 are not yet past us. In Sweden, tens of persons are at this
moment sitting out their ridiculously high sentences, and for the
non-Swedes, the trials are only just beginning. Norwegians, Germans, Danes,
Finns and one Dutch person are still waiting for their trials. Maarten, a
22-year-old boy from Amsterdam is waiting to be extradited to Sweden.
Although there is sufficient evidence of his innocence, Maarten's chance of
a fair trial in Sweden is slim. Trials surrounding the European Summit that
have taken place before have shown that Swedish justice places more value
on setting intimidating examples than on due process. Right now in Sweden,
tens of people are still sitting out excessively long prison sentences
after being sentenced without convincing evidence.
That is why we demand: no extradition of Maarten and the transfer of any
trial for him to the Netherlands.
Solidarity with the victims of Gothenburg.

More information on Maarten's case and what happened during and after the
EU-summit in Gothenburg can be found on www.steunmaarten.org. If you want
to be kept informed, send an e-mail to  info@steunmaarten.org with the word
'news' in the subject or in the body of the message.

Background
On the morning of June 14, 2001, the European Summit in the Swedish city of
Gothenburg was beginning. Maarten had arrived in the city on the night
before and had found a place to sleep in a school provided by the city
council. This school was surrounded that morning by the police and all
persons present (more than 450) were arrested. Maarten, as well, was
arrested for nebulous reasons ('You have come to make trouble') and
deported to the Netherlands. He filed a complaint, but it was not taken
into consideration.

About four months later, he was notified by a Swedish group that is active
on behalf of those charged after the European Summit; he was wanted
internationally for severe public disturbance and assaulting a police
officer. After doing the necessary footwork, it turned out that there in
fact was an international search warrant for him in effect. Although the
case against him is barely supported, the evidence of Maarten's innocence
is sufficent (video recordings and witnesses) and all ther other cases
against 'foreigners' (non-Swedes) have meanwhile been transferred back to
the suspects' countries of origin, Maarten is now in danger of being
extradited to Sweden.

The chance that Maarten will get a fair trial in Sweden is slim, according
to his attorney and those who have been following the trials. The
Gothenburg court in comparable cases was not objective, trusts manipulated
evidence in addition to police witnesses who contradict one another and
deals out extremely severe punishment by Swedish standards (especially to
suspects considered to be 'political'). In short, it is more interested in
setting examples than in due process. And Maarten's chances of obtaining
justice in a subsequent higher appeal are practically nil. He will not
receive a fair trial if he is deported to Sweden.

e-Mail:  info@steunmaarten.org, Homepage:  http://www.steunmaarten.org, Anschrift:
Support Group Amsterdam, Postbus 10591, 1001 EN Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
Telefon: : +31-(0)6-42356735

[:  http://www.steunmaarten.org]

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Update on the prisoners in Italy

More than 23 people were arrested by the Carabinieri of the ROS (Reparti
Operativi Speciale -- a special-operations investigative corps of the
Carabinieri, a body of military police that is equivalent to the National Guard)
and the DIGOS police (Dipartimento Investigazioni Generali Operazioni Speciali;
an investigative police corps connected with the Ministry of the Interior)
during a series of 40 home raids on the night of December 4, 2002. Today, five
of them are still under house arrest. Deprived of all freedom of movement, they
are also subjected provocation by the Carabinieri, who make night-time visits to
their apartments.

Maria Cugnaschi, a 38-year-old Milan resident, is accused of being the leader of
a Black-Bloc cell. She has refused to answer the judge's questions, and Marina
has never been recognized committing any acts of destruction in photos. Marina
risks ten years or more of hard prison time. After having spent three months in
the Pontedecimo women's prison near Genoa, she was assigned to house arrest in
her parents' home in a village near Leccho. She is not allowed to go out into
the yard to get her mail. She is also forbidden to answer the telephone. She is
allowed only one visit per week, always by the same person. Born into a family
of poor peasants, Marina has always worked to assist sick, dependant, and
elderly people. She has never been convicted of any crime, and has never had any
previous legal trouble. You can write to her at the following address:
Marina Cugnaschi
Via Gramsci N 22
BALLABIO 23811
(LECCHO) ITALY

Vincenzo Vecchi, a 30-year-old Milan resident, was arrested with the same
charges as Marina. He has never answered the questions of the examining
magistrate, Elena Daloisio, and has not been recognized in any of more than 80
photos. The photos presented to him show no proof that he has participated in
any violent or destructive acts whatsoever. Since April, Vince has been
sentenced by the Rome Appeals Court to house arrest at his parents' home in
Ghisalba, a small village near the city of Bergamo. You can reach Vincenzo by
writing to him at the Casa Circondariale Marassi, Piazzale Marassi - 16139
Genova, Italy.

Alberto Funaro, is a young activist who works with Radio Rossa in Rome. He is
accused only of property damage and looting. Alberto has been under house arrest
since March at his parents' house, where he can receive visits and telephone
calls. Like Marina and Vincenzo, he has never been convicted of any crime.

Carlo Cuccomarino is a University professor who is more than 50 years old. He is
accused of having broken windows. He has been under house arrest since April.

Francesco Puglisi, is a 23 years old, resident of Catania, Sicily. On July 1,
2003, he had a judiciary hearing and was sentenced to remain in prison awaiting
trial. According to the French Collective for Solidarity with the Prisoners, he
is the only Genoa defendant still in pre-trial detention, two years after the
events that he is charged with. Francesco has already been sentenced on
unrelated charges to one and a half years of prison time, without parole, and
spent eighteen months in the Catania prison, and has another trial still
pending. Francesco is accused of property destruction, looting, theft, and
assaulting a police officer during the Genoa G8 summit. Shortly after his
arrest, he was beaten by police batons. This beating was followed by threats
against him and his mother. Francesco is still in prison in Messina-Grazzi, a
town that is 100 kilometers from Catania, Sicily. The only visitor he is allowed
to see, for 30 minutes a week, is his elderly mother. Francesco was born to an
extremely poor family; after his father's death, Francesco's mother his only
family left. In his letters, Francesco says that the opposition movement in
Sicily is very weak, and that he is essentially alone in this matter. Active
support for Francesco is therefore truly necessary. Letters to Francesco permit
him to break his solitude and dissuade the prison authorities from mistreating him.
You can contact Francesco at the following address:
FRANCESCO PUGLISI
Casa Circondariale
Via Contrada Consolare Valeria 2
98100 Messina-Grazzi
SICILIA, ITALIA

Francesco's mother lives alone and, now that Francesco is in prison, is without
financial support. Francesco and his mother are in urgent need of immediate
financial solidarity. You can reach her at the following address:
Signora Pace GUIDITTA
Via Zurlia 37
1500 Catania
ITALY

For all further information or donations that you would like to make for the
people mentioned above, please contact the Collective for Solidarity with the
Prisoners,
C/O Le Laboratoire
8, Place Saint Jean
26000 VALENCE
 laboratoire@no-log.org or  solidarite@no-log.org

Further updates :

It is difficult to count the number of Italians arrested because of the G8
summit in Genoa. They are often arrested discreetly, long after the facts. This
was the case for the 23 people arrested during a series of 40 raids made by
Italian police on December 4, 2002. Among those arrested were at least two
foreign nationals, a German and an American, who had not even been in Italy
during the G8 summit. The American, Dave, was placed in an immigrant detention
center near Milan and subsequently deported.
Dave has been organizing legal and financial solidarity within the USA for Genoa
defendants; you can reach him at  bicycletramp@yahoo.com

French defendants:
Valerie Vie's first trial was held on April 14, and postponed until July 15,
2003. Her trial has since been postponed again. She is accused of having entered
the Red Zone, destroyed public property (the red zone wall), and violently
resisted arrest. There are five other French defendants, who still have not
received trial dates; four of them have been called before the prosecutor to
depose their complaint against the Italian Police.

The French collective to support those arrested in Genoa has changed its
address, and can now be reached at the following address :

Collectif de Soutien aux Inculpes de Genes
2, rue Saint Victor
30200 Bagnols sur Ceze
FRANCE

[Collectif de Soutien aux Inculpes de Genes]

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Brandanschlag in Kreuzberg

Vor zwei Jahren starb Carlo in Genua. In Kreuzberg gedachten einige
Vermummte mit Brandsätzen.

Der Pressedienst der Berliner Polizei schreibt dazu

"Eingabe: 20.07.2003 - 08:45 Uhr
Vermummte randalierten in Kreuzberg - hoher Sachschaden - Staatsschutz
ermittelt

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg (# 1013/1014)
Mehrere vermummte Straftäter haben in der vergangenen Nacht einige
Schaufenster zweier Autohäuser im Bereich des Heinrichplatzes in Kreuzberg
zerstört und 16 Fahrzeuge beschädigt.
Gegen 23.05 Uhr wurde die Polizei zu einem Autohaus in der Skalitzer Straße
alarmiert. Dort waren acht Glasscheiben zerstört und ein Pkw in den
Innenräumen durch Steinwürfe beschädigt worden. Innen fanden die Beamten
auch einen nicht gezündeten Brandsatz, mit dem dieser Wagen offensichtlich
entzündet werden sollte. Auf dem Parkplatz vor dem Geschäft wurden sechs
Autos, zum Teil Neuwagen, durch Steinwürfe stark beschädigt.
Des weiteren hatten die Täter einen Pkw eines benachbarten Autohauses in
der Mariannenstraße gegenüber des Geschäftes in Brand gesetzt. Der "Seat"
war durch seine Beschriftung als zum Autohaus gehörend erkennbar. Die
Jalousie der Geschäftsräume wurde mit einer Parole beschmiert, die einen
Bezug zum vor zwei Jahren in Genua bei Ausschreitungen anlässlich des G-8
Gipfeltreffens getöteten Demonstranten vermuten lassen.
In der Mariannen- und der Oranienstraße hatten die Täter sogenannte
Krähenfüße gelegt, durch die an acht Pkw Reifenschäden entstanden.
Die Abteilung Staatsschutz des Landeskriminalamtes hat die Ermittlungen
aufgenommen."

[indymedia.de, von LKA 5 - 20.07.2003 21:40]

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gipfelsoli infogruppe

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