Message posted by Gus on December 20, 2001 at 9:18:29 PST:
If this turns out OK it is a story from one of the spotters jailed in GreeceAll, Having returned from 37 days captivity in Greece I have caught up on Allegation: "The group were arrested at Tanagra and warned not to continue". Fact: The group were not arrested but assisted Police/HAF/Intelligence Allegation: "They were warned three times and still took photographs". Fact: At the three HAF Open Days attended by the group, guards at the gate Fact: Photographs were taken at Athens War Museum, Mesolongi (museum), Fact: All photographs (from films confiscated at Tanagra and Kalamata) have Allegation: "The group were intoxicated when apprehended". Fact: I was frankly totally amazed to read of this allegation which I was Opinion: In my opinion there are only two explanations for this allegation, Allegation: "The group trespassed on Greek military bases". Fact: No trespass took place whatsoever. The three bases entered by the Allegation: "When the investigating officers analysed the logbooks kept by Fact: The scanner inadvertantly taken by one member of the group was at no Fact: The scanner no longer forms part of the evidence against the group. An Other relevant facts are:- This was the third occasion on which Touchdown had visited Greece. Previous The Hellenic AF had been informed in writing of the group's intention to Foreign nationals are (in recent years) permitted to attend these open days The Hellenic AF was in possession of names, passport numbers, dates of The group were sensitive to the post September 11th situation. The Hellenic The group were detained "for taking photographs" whilst attempting to leave I have nothing to say to those who were so quick to offer public Merry Christmas to all. Mike Bursell to Change email address http://groups.yahoo.com/myprefs Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
some (by no means all) of the discussion on this and other forums. I am not
prepared to enter into debate on this topic (I will in due course be tried
by the Greek courts, not by MSF) and this will be my only posting on the
subject, but I feel compelled to present some facts, particularly in view of
the many inaccuracies I have noted in the media reporting of this ongoing
affair (even as recently as the Greek Ambassador's letter printed in today's
(Tuesday's) Daily Mail).
officers with their enquiries (after a Greek civilian mistook use of
binoculars for photography). No warning was issued and the group were told
"You have done nothing illegal". The authorities apologised for delaying the
group. Interestingly, the Greek Ambassador's letter in today's Daily Mail
states
that the warning was given by a magistrate. This makes it all the easier to
prove
false since at no time was any magistrate involved in the check at Tanagra
at all.
informed the group that photography was not permitted (it was permitted last
year). As a result, no photographs were taken and cameras remained secured
in
camera bags within the vehicles. At no point on the trip did ANY member of
the
group take ANY photographs at ANY Greek military installation.
Vonitsa (scrap metal dealer - chopped up 1952/53 vintage F-84Fs), Hellenikon
(the old Athens civil airport, now superceded by Sparta).
been
perused by the authorities and have been assessed as having no security
implications.
Photographs no longer form part of the prosecution case, nor have they since
the end of our first week in captivity, despite their being quoted as the
basis
of the evidence for "espionage" charges (also no longer relevant) as
recently as last
Wednesday on CNN.
unaware of until my return. The group were apprehended at around 17:00hrs.
No alcohol had been consumed by any member of the group on the day in
question. Indeed, on the three previous nights no one had indulged in any
more than a few social drinks with their evening meal.
one would be an an error in translation ("The group were 'interrogated' when
apprehended"??) whilst the other is a deliberate and malicious attempt to
smear
the group.
group were Araxos, Andravidha and Kalamata at which we were admitted to the
open days upon production of passports. The trespass issue arose only
because the authorities believed that serials at Megara could only have been
obtained by trespassing on the base. Aircraft and helicopters at Megara can
be identified from public roads around the airfield using binoculars (and
indeed several can be read with the naked eye).
the group,
they found those included flight timetables and eavesdropping on
conversations
between pilots and Air Force ground controllers".
time switched on in Greece. Therefore no conversations were overheard. Even
if
they had been, I presume military conversations would have been in Greek,
which
even after 37 days none of us speak. The first Greek military aircraft we
saw airborne
were seen from the courtroom in Kalamata during our first appearance. My own
log book
(which ended at Heathrow on departure) includes take-off and landing times
of those airliners
in which I have been a passenger during the last few months.
expert witness appeared
on our behalf at the second court appearance and proved to the
interrogating magistrate that scanners
could be freely bought over the counter in Greece, were used by numerous
Greek radio hobbyists, and
that Greece was party to (though had not yet ratified) an EU law legalising
the use of scanners.
visits in 1998 and 2000
went off without a hitch. Photography was permitted at most bases in 2000
(the situation being checked
and double checked at each base).
visit as many bases as possible during the HAF open days (8th-11th
November 2001). Despite this I have seen reference to Touchdown being
invited to
one Open Day and unilaterally extending the invite to include the rest. This
allegation is false.
without prior permission. Written authority to visit was sought and obtained
by Touchdown as a 'belt and braces' to prevent any misunderstandings (in
which respect it was obviously unsuccessful).
birth, and occupations of all members of the group and approval had been
given
at Brigadier General level for Touchdown to attend the open days.
AF
were contacted by fax and by telephone in the final days before the trip in
the expectation that it would be cancelled. The response was reassuring and
encouraged Touchdown to go ahead as planned. If there was a problem due to
increased security, these communications would have been the ideal
opportunity to
close the trip down to the satisfaction of all concerned (both the Greeks
and the group).
Kalamata base following their visit to the open day. As pointed out above,
no photographs were taken by any of the group at any Greek military base at
any
time during the trip.
My thanks to those who have expressed support and particularly to the many
who
have given so freely of their time to work towards our release. The many
messages of support and acts of kindness received by my family during my
absence,
and by all of us upon our return, have our heartfelt gratitude.
condemnation
of the entire group (organisers and paying passengers alike) in the absence
of
any factual knowledge of the circumstances.
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