Huge Win for Beijing 2021 Olympics Acropolis Protestors in Athens Court
JUSTICE ABROAD
“Here When You Need Us”
Justice Abroad is assisting in two cases concerning activists who protested the Olympic flame lighting ceremonies for the Beijing 2021 Winter Olympics at Mount Olympia and the Acropolis in relation to the Chinese regimes’ ongoing genocide against the Uyghurs, the suppression of the freedom of the people of Hong Kong, and the ongoing oppression of the Tibetan people. Justice Abroad is working with top Greek human rights lawyer Alexis Anagnostakis.
The trial in the Acropolis matters took place today, Thursday 17 November 2022, at the City Courthouse in Athens where, after trial, the three judges found the activists not guilty of the offence of attempting to “pollute, damage, and distort” a historical monument, a charge punishable by up to five years. The verdict came after the State Prosecutor had recommended a guilty verdict.
The Acropolis case relates to a protest on 17 October 2021, where Tsela Zoksang, an 18-year-old Tibetan-American activist, Joey Siu, a 21-year-old Hong Kongese-American activist, and a Vietnamese-American activist met at the Acropolis site in Athens. They hung a Tibetan flag and a flag in support of freedom in Hong Kong from scaffolding whilst chanting “Boycott Beijing 2022” and “Free Tibet.”
The protest at the Acropolis and Mount Olympia drew worldwide attention to the repression of the Tibetans, Hong Kongers, and Uyghurs. Chinese Police reportedly operated alongside Greek Police which caused concern that activists would rendered to China given that Greece still has an extradition agreement with China despite the lack of any proper and objective Court system and the plethora of evidence that the Chinese authorities target and persecute individuals and groups based upon their ethnicity and religion or belief in democracy.
Justice Abroad’s Michael Polak stated the following:
‘Today’s result is a huge victory for the right to peaceful protest and for the Tibetan and Hong Kongese people. The Chinese regime believes that they are able to extend their repression against ethnic and religious groups around the world, and one might ask the question why the activists in this case were prosecuted for such a serious offence when Greek political activists protesting different matters at the Acropolis in the past have not faced prosecution.
Nevertheless, it is hoped that the acquittals today will send a strong message that legitimate peaceful protest and assembly, of the type banned totally in China and Hong Kong, will be allowed even when it hurts the fragile sensibilities of the Beijing and Hong Kong regimes.
Holding the Olympics in China, whilst there is an ongoing genocide against the Uyghur people, intense repression against the Tibetans, and the removal of all civil and political rights from the people of Hong Kong, was clearly the wrong decision. It brought shame on the IOC and the Olympic Movement. The suppression of groups and individuals because of their ethnicity, religion, or belief in democracy needs to be stopped and this was the message that the brave and principled activists sent out to the world when they protested at the Olympic flame ceremonies.
We were very pleased to work with top Greek human rights lawyer Alexis Anagnostakis to secure such a great result for our clients.’
A previous press release from Students for a Free Tibet can be found here –
Any request for comment from Michael Polak or for interviews with the activists can be made by emailing contact@justiceabroad.co.uk or by phone on +44 (0)203 488 2316
Notes to Editors and the Press
Justice Abroad, www.justiceabroad.co.uk has been set up to help those trying to find their way through foreign justice systems with all the associated hurdles that presents, to represent those facing gross breaches of their human rights no matter where this takes place, and to advise and assist the victims of crimes as to how to achieve justice.
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