For the 22nd day, Panos Routsi continues his hunger strike at Syntagma Square, with citizens going to support him, as political confrontation around the issue reaches its peak. Panos Routsi declares he will not back down unless his request is accepted to learn the cause of his son’s death. He characteristically states: “I will be the 58th dead of Tempi.”
Citizens of all ages gathered beside him at Syntagma Square yesterday to shake his hand and show their support. Solidarity rallies were also held in other Greek cities (Patras, Thessaloniki, Ioannina), with Dennis’s father continuing to demand toxicological examinations for his child.
Photos from yesterday’s rally at Syntagma Square:
Zoe Konstantopoulou on Panos Routsi’s exhumation request: “Give the order to let him know how his child died”
“My message is to Mr. Mitsotakis, Mr. Floridis and the judges who obey the orders of Mitsotakis-Floridis, you think a simple man like Panos cannot bring justice, but justice is in the souls of people and Panos is not at all alone although he is waging a battle that he started and continues with admirable persistence and admirable patience,” declared Zoe Konstantopoulou on Sunday evening, standing beside the hunger striker and father of a Tempi victim, Panos Routsi, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Syntagma Square.
Meanwhile, the president of Course of Freedom emphasized: “Give the order for the rule of law to function. Give the order for Panos Routsi to learn how his child died. Stop preventing those actions and investigations that are necessary, that were not carried out on your orders, that were not ordered for two and a half years on your orders, and that you continue to try to prevent now” and added: “Panos Routsi’s request is a request of the entire society, and this is evident from all the people who are here daily beside him, supporting his struggle.”
Ms. Konstantopoulou announced that today at 14:00 she will hold a press conference at the Athens Bar Association about “all those things that the government is trying to hide… about everything that citizens need to know about Panos Routsi’s rightful request.” Finally, the president of Course of Freedom expressed the view that “it is clear to all society that those who prevent the truth from being revealed are those who know very well what will be revealed. They are the ones who took care all this time to ‘bury’ the evidence, to hide the proof, to alter all the evidentiary procedures and to try to bury, along with the children and people who were lost, our humanity. Our humanity is what will prevail…“.