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BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN (17/11/1995)From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@uranus.eng.auth.gr>Macedonian Press Agency DirectoryBRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCYThessaloniki, November 17, 1995NEWS IN ENGLISH[01] KORIDALOS PRISON IN ATHENS STILL UNDER NO CONTROL[02] RIOTS BRING A REAL CHAOS IN THE CENTRE OF ATHENS[03] 22nd ANNIVERSARY OF THE UPRISING AGAINST THE MILITARY JUNTA[04] US PRESIDENT SPECIAL ENVOY IS EXPECTED TO VISIT CYPRUS IN DECEMBER[05] EXHIBITION ON PARTHENON OPENS IN NEW YORK ON NOVEMBER 21ST[06] NEW AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR IN GREECENEWS IN ENGLISH[01] KORIDALOS PRISON IN ATHENS STILL UNDER NO CONTROLFour dead and 36 injured are until now the victims of the riot in Koridalos Prison in Athens which continues today for a fourth day. In the early morning hours today the inmates tortured and hanged an inmate, who is siad to have been foreigner, poured gazoline on his dead body and set it on fire. Then they carried the charred remains to the Prison's Guardhouse. Later 2 more inmates were taken to hospital after they were injured during clashes among prisoners. Menawhile a new escape attempt took palce today when 500 prisoners tried to go out of the priison while the Justice Minister mr Yiannis Pottakis who was visiting the prison for the first time today since the riot broke out, was holding talks with the prison guards and was getting informed on the situation. The prisoners were foiled by special riot police who prevented them from reaching the exit gate. The Justice Minister told reporters that the situation is under full control and gave assurances that the special police forces will not enter the prison in order to put down the prisoners' uprising adding that efforts will be made in order to transfer the juvenile and foreign prisoners to other prisons. The opposition has called for the resignation of mr Pottakis accusing him of not having handled the situation correctly, but the minister has undertaken all political responsibility for the way the situation was handled.Greek press and Media Minister mr Tilemahos Hitiris gave the government's full coverage to the minister Last night, another mass escape attempt was quelled by three platoons of riot police using tear- gas. Tension continues as the prison staff continue to refuse to return to their posts maintaining that they will return only if they are accompanied by the political leadership of the Justice Ministry, an all- party Parliamentary Committee and television crews. According to information there is chaos inside the prison where the inmates armed with hand-made weapons such as, sticks and iron bars have caused extensive damages and threaten each other's lives. Also, the prisoners, have raided the prison's pharmacy and they have seized an estimated 27.000 sleeping pills and 2.500 syringes. Up-to-now three prisoners have died from drug overdose while it is suspected although not confirmed that there more victims and many were taken to hospitals in a coma caused by drugs. The Justice Ministry has assured the prisoners that their demands for better food and medical care will be met while it also has promised a reduction of the number of inmates in the overcrowded prison which was built for 500 prisoners and now houses about 1.500 of whom over 400 are foreigners. It is said that that life-sentence prisoners are in charge of the uprising while many rumours are spread around on the connection between them and gangs of Albanian prisoners who make a numerous group in the greek prisons. Romanian prisoners have also formed their own groups fighting for authority in the prisons. [02] RIOTS BRING A REAL CHAOS IN THE CENTRE OF ATHENSAthens, the greek capital lives tonight one of the worst days in its history since a group of about 50-70 young people, defining themselves as annarchists, occupied late in the evening the Polytechnic faculty of the university after the manifestation for the 22nd anniversary of the student uprising againt the military junta. The police in full mobilazation did not manage to prevent the occupation of the faculty while at the same time they had to stop groups of ultra rightists wanted to proceed to the building and clash with them. The police forces can not enter the faculty since there is an asylum which can not be violated without a permission by the asylunm council. Citizens of Athens are used to such situations every anniversary of the 1973 uprising which was recorded in greek history as the most important antidictatorship act. Usually there are no arrests but numerous damages. A similar occupation took place on Wedensday in the faculty of Theological studies of the University of Thessaloniki but they occupiers left late last night without serious incidents. [03] 22nd ANNIVERSARY OF THE UPRISING AGAINST THE MILITARY JUNTAGreece commemorates today the 22nd anniversary of the bloody student uprising in 1973 against the military junta that ruled the country from 1967 to 1974, while there is fear of violent clashes between police and anarchists. Early in the afternoon, the Athens Polytechnic was seized by about 400 anarchists chanting slogans against the police and in support of jailed anarchists. This year the anniversary coincides with student protests against the new regulations on higher education proposed by the Ministry of Education. The three days of celebrations officially began on Wednesday under the shadow of Tuesday's violence during a student demonstration in central Athens. [04] US PRESIDENT SPECIAL ENVOY IS EXPECTED TO VISIT CYPRUS IN DECEMBERAlternate cypriot government spokesman Spiros Arotis stated that the US President's special envoy Richard Beattie is expected to visit Cyprus in December but the exact date of his visit has not been set yet. Mr.Arotis stated that the cypriot government has no official information on Joe Clark's resignation from the post of the UN Secretary General special representative in Cyprus. [05] EXHIBITION ON PARTHENON OPENS IN NEW YORK ON NOVEMBER 21STThe exhibition of works by greek artist Manolis Korres under the title "From Penteli to Parthenon" opens in the New York branch of the Greek Culture Institute on November 21st. The exhibition will be open until January 7th, 1996 and then the artist's works will be exhibited in the Institute's branches in Odessa, Ukraine and Alexandria, Egypt. Also, a symposium under the title "Art, Civilization and the Ideology of Totalitarianism in Greece of the '90's" will be held in London on November 24th. The symposium is organized on the occasion of the exhibition "Art and Power. Art and Architecture in Europe 1930-1945" which is being held in London after an initiative by the Council of Europe and Hayward Gallery and presents the art of architecture in Paris, Rome, Moscow and Berlin. [06] NEW AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR IN GREECEAustralian Foreign Minister Senator Garreth Evans announced the appointment of Dr. Robert Merils as new ambassador of Australia in Greece. Dr.Merils will replace mr. Alan Edwards who served as Ambassador of Australia to Athens since 1991. Dr.Merils, who is currently Australia's ambassador in Sweden, will assume his duties in January 1996. |