Saturday, July 11, 2009

Christina: PLEASE ACT NOW!


Christina Kyrimopoulou entered prison when she was 14. her sins were huge: she was dependent from substances, had an active mental disorder and is of Roma origins.
her career in prison was marked by a number of desperate cries for help: continuous attempts of committing suicide marked her body - her soul was already marked!
thus grew Christina in prison…
European Network of Women and the Initiative for the Rights of Detainees supported Christina as soon as her lawyer Chrisa Petsimeri called for help in the media (http://www.tvxs.gr/v8664) working along with the commissary of minors in which Christina 's case has been assigned.
in June 2009 Christina Kyrimopoulou aged 20 was ready to be released.
the last court hearing of her case, was very positive: the judge for minors decided to give her a chance.
and while a team of organizations and persons were struggling to prepared the ground for her smooth rehabilitation (no peace of cake), we had to deal with a big surprise: a phantom(!) sentence in 4 months imprisonment for theft in 2004 - when she was a minor - from an adults court. she was judged and sentenced while absent as an adult, while she was already imprisoned, but no one let her know of the trial, so that she would attend it!
so, someone remembered the sentence when she was ready to be released!
that Saturday Christina made yet an other attempt to commit suicide: she cut her veins for the hundredth time!
also she resisted when the warders tried to help.
on Friday 3/7/2009 unfortunately we were informed that the Prison Council denied her the right for parole and additionally imposed on her a disciplinary sentence (possibly for 6 months) for the suicide attempt.

on Tuesday 7/7/2009 unfortunately the Prison Council decided also to transfer her in another prison far away from the only support system she ever knew.

those who have the minimum legal knowledge, they know that there is no greek law that imposes any sentence on prisoners with suicidal tendencies.
the Prison Council, thought, claimed that Christina threatened the warders. what she actually did was to warn them to keep away, since she was bleeding. she is an hepatitis carrier you see!

THEY CONSIDERED THAT A THREAT!

and for this reason they punish her!

she eventually apologized, crying, she begged them to allow her to remain there.
unfortunately her pleas were in vain.

we unite our voice with those that protest for this decision and we call you to countersign the protest of the Initiative for the Rights of detainees found here: http://www.keli.gr (in greek)
please copy and paste the text (there will be an english text available soon) and send it to christina_kyrimopoulou@yahoo.gr including your name, occupation and your country

at the same time academic member Aphrodite Koukoutsaki is collecting signatures from academic members and researchers here: christinakyrimopoulou@gmail.com


dear friend please ACT NOW for this young woman:

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