Families of terrorism victims expressed their opposition to a new documentary by Alexis Papachelas, which would have included an interview with Dimitris Koufodinas. “We couldn’t believe it,” they stated characteristically in their announcement. The series, titled “17N: Rise and Fall,” was set to receive funding from EKKOMED (Hellenic Film, Audiovisual and Digital Media Centre). However, due to this interview, the funding was ultimately withdrawn.
Opposition to Koufodinas interview by Papachelas: Statement from terrorism victims’ families
Specifically, in their statement they note among other things: “As families of terrorism victims, the Thanos Axarlian Solidarity Association for Terrorism Victims and ‘Enough Already,’ we recently learned that in the series titled ’17N: Rise and Fall,’ Mr. Alexis Papachelas would interview serial killer Dimitris Koufodinas in his first television appearance after decades, as well as other terrorists. We couldn’t believe it.”
They continue: “Addressing Mr. Papachelas in writing at an unsuspicious time and away from the spotlight of publicity, we expressed our strong opposition, not obviously to the creation of his documentary whose journalistic research we do not question, but to the possibility of giving a platform to the November 17 terrorists, who for decades imposed their voice on public discourse through the blood of our people. Our fathers, sons, husbands and brothers. At the same time we emphatically withdrew any participation in this through interviews, old and new, as well as footage of ourselves and our relatives, refusing to participate in an informal dialogue equating perpetrators and victims.
We remind that the convicted murderer Dimitris Koufodinas, at every opportunity given to him, declares that he is unrepentant for his actions, proclaiming on one hand his hatred for his victims and his ‘ideological’ opponents, and on the other hand forming a supposedly ideological background that justifies the continuation of terrorist action by potential imitators and supporters.
And as a crowning touch we learned that this particular documentary would be funded by EKKOMED, meaning, the murderers would tell us again how and why they killed our people, but this time with state money, i.e., with citizens’ money.
This seemed inconceivable to us and we also sent a letter of protest as the Thanos Axarlian Solidarity Association for Terrorism Victims and ‘Enough Already’ to EKKOMED, in order to inform them that our testimony would be absent and to request the withdrawal of production funding.
From SKAI’s announcement we learned that the funding decision was revoked, something that seems obvious to us.
We also want to make it clear that revoking state funding of a production, any production, does not constitute censorship. We never asked for, nor sought to censor any journalist and any journalistic research.
What we demanded is that Dimitris Koufodinas should not receive with state money, what he once ‘bought’ with blood. Regarding the claim of polyphony, we consider it at least insulting to the memory of our people. It is insulting because it essentially equates Democracy with terrorism, perpetrators with victims, murderers with the murdered.”
