Homayoun Sabetara wird bereits fast drei Jahre lang unschuldig in griechischen Gefängnissen gefangen gehalten. Dabei leidet er an einer Krebserkrankung. Am 23.4.2024 vertagte das Gericht sich bis zum 24. September 2024, weil der einzige Zeuge der Angeklage nicht erschien. Das heißt Homayoun Sabetara wird ein weiteres halbes Jahr unschuldig im Gefängnis festgehalten.
Die griechische Justiz bestraft unschuldige Menschen hart, ohne irgendwelche Beweise für eine Straftat. Angesichts eines anderen bekannten Falles hatten wir das „Staatsterror Verfahrensverschleppung“ (https://griechenlandsoli.com/2023/01/30/staatsterror-verfahrensverschleppung/) genannt. Es geht um Terror, um Verbreitung von Angst. Alle, die auf der Flucht sind, sollen abgeschreckt werden. Seht her, wenn ihr zu uns kommt, landet ihr für viele Jahre im Gefängnis, egal ob wir euch irgendetwas vorwerfen können, oder nicht.

Von der Netzseite https://www.freehomayoun.org/:
>Another postponement of Homayoun Sabetara’s appeal trial: after 576 days of waiting, his appeal hearing started today at the court in Thessaloniki. As in the first trial, the sole prosecution witness was absent.
Homayoun Sabetara was arrested in August 2021 after Greek authorities stopped the car he was driving in Thessaloniki. He was subsequently charged with „smuggling“ and sentenced to 18-years in prison. His conviction was based primarily on the written testimony of a witness who never appeared in court. Homayoun has been held in prison ever since.
During today’s hearings, one of Homayoun’s lawyers, Harris Ladis, raised the argument that the Court failed to cross-examine the prosecution witness, in violation of article 6 of the ECtHR [Europäischer Gerichtshof für Menschenrechte]. The witness was absent and hence never questioned.

On these grounds Homayoun’s legal team petitioned the Court to not read the statement in question. However, the court decided to instead postpone the trial to 24/09/24, in order to have time to locate the witness.

Mahtab Sabetara, Homayoun’s daughter is devasted: „My father’s lawyers requested his release on terms due to his state of health. However, the court turned down the request within a few minutes.”

Homayoun’s lawyer Dimitris Choulis also commented on the Court’s decision: „The decision today is a message from the judicial system: if you fight back we will punish you. Although we are used to this mental torture from previous cases, it always surprises me when the judges are so harsh with vulnerable people.”

Indeed, this is not an unprecedented outcome. Homayoun Sabetara’s case consitutes a blatant example of the systematic criminalisation of people on the move by Greek authorities. Currently, there are over 2,000 people imprisoned in Greece who have been convicted as alleged smugglers on questionable evidence, people whose right to a fair trial has been violated.

Nonetheless, confronting these violations often leads to prolonged postponements – as the case of Homayoun confirms. “Trapped between accepting unjust sentences or enduring prolonged incarceration, justice is not an option for these people”, states Julia Winkler of borderline-europe.

Homayoun’s daughter, Mahtab Sabetara, and her team of supporters have been committed to drawing international attention to this injustice through the #FreeHomayoun campaign. Addressing supporters and the public, Mahtab Sabetara emphasizes: „We will continue to fight against the criminalisation of migration, and we will turn today’s tears to strength and determination.“ <