International appeal to lawyers’ associations, human rights’ organisations and individuals

Dear friends and colleagues,

We write to inform you about a very important trial scheduled on 18 December 2013 in Athens. On that day, which coincidentally is the International Migrants’ Day, two Golden Dawn members who killed the Pakistani immigrant worker Shahjad Luqman will be brought into justice. The murder took place on 17 January 2013, in a neighborhood of central Athens called Petralona. Shahjad was heading to work (at a market) at about 03:20 in the morning on his bicycle. Two men came behind him on a motor-bike, stopped him and stabbed him to death. Luckily, residents woke up and saw the murderers, who were later arrested with the knives – soaked in blood – on them.

The two men – who are currently in prison – confessed their crime, supported though that they killed Shahzad because “he was blocking the road with his bike”. During the search in the house of one of the two, the police found leaflets of Golden Dawn whose leader, Nikolaos Michaloliakos, is also in prison, after the crack-down on the neonazi organisation following the murder of Pavlos Fyssas in September.

Of course, back in January 2013, when Golden Dawn was practically enjoying impunity for its crimes, the government and the police did not move against it, even if it was evident that the killing of Luqman was an act of the infamous storm-troops that the organisation was building in various neighborhoods, terrorising immigrants and political opponents.

Antifascist lawyers who have been active in KEERFA (“Movement United Against Racism and the Fascist Threat”) and who have formed the initiative “For the Civil Action by the antifascist movement in the trial of Golden Dawn” will represent Shahzad’s family in the trial. We urge you to help in any way that you can, publicise the event, contribute and send international delegates to Athens. This trial will be a foretaste for the bigger one, against the leaders of Golden Dawn accused of criminal conspiracy. Your presence and help will be much appreciated.

To contact a) the lawyers of Shahzad, email: [email protected], b) the antifascist legal initiative, email: [email protected].

Yours,

Thanasis Kampagiannis,

lawyer, Athens Bar Association.

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