[SEDXC] DJ6SI - Final Report on the arrest in Kos, Greece

[Neil Foster]

 From a ham radio friend
Neil   N4FN
	
	
	
	



DJ6SI -- Report on the arrest in Kos, Greece
By DJ6SI, Baldur Drobnica
Translated by DF3CB, Bernd Koch
__________________________________________________ ____________________

I booked a holiday trip break of one week on the island of Kos in
Greece in May this year. I took a HF station with me to give some
DXers new band points or even a new country. I could install a G5RV
with the permission of the hotel management.

After three days, at 01 in the morning, my XYL DL6KCD and I were
woken up by an attorney and five police officers in civilian clothes.
My wife is suffering from Alzheimer and has three bypasses. I was
accused of conducting radio communications without a Greek radio
license. The second accusation was that I could also watch other
frequencies with my transceiver, a FT-890AT. My objection was
rejected that I operate legally on base of the CEPT regulations. The
hotel manager printed the CEPT list which is available on the website
of the DARC and handed the printout out to the attorney. The paper
was ignored, folded and put into the pocket. My transceiver was
confiscated together with the power supply and the headphones with
the remark that it had to be checked by a specialist. They also tried
to confiscate my notebook which I tried to defeat because the
notebook was not related to the transceiver that had to be checked.
Two mobile phones, cameras and the log book were also confiscated; we
were handcuffed and taken to the police station. The handcuffs were
so tight that they cut into my flesh and draw blood.

I was taken to a hospital where the wound my on hand was treated. In
absence of a prison cell, the police wanted to put me into a drunk
tank but the attending physician declined that. So I had to spend
four hours at the police station sitting on a chair. My hint that I
had to see my un-oriented wife was rejected by saying that she is
enclosed in the (hotel?) room and being closely guarded from outside.
After long discussions I was then escorted by two police officers to
visit my wife at the hotel, medicate and dress her. Personal care and
showering, was rejected. Back at the police station a protocol was
created.

Then we were driven to the courthouse. It was now 11AM. I was
photographed and fingerprinted in the courtyard of the courthouse.
Then we waited again until 4PM under police protection, when I was
presented to the attorney who explained me the charges in a two-
minute talk: transmitting without permission, having a radio with
frequencies other than intended for amateur radio operators and the
hindrance in handing out my notebook.

I was commissioned to the court for the next day at 12:00. I had to
wait until 16:00 until a judge and an attorney came. The judge told
me that he had no translator and appointed a new proceeding for the
next day at 12:00. When I objected that we had to fly back the next
day, he explained: "this is your problem". Finished.

I called the German Embassy in Athens on the morning of the next day
and got the notification of the German-speaking lawyer on Kos. We met
an hour before the opening hearing. My luck was that he was once
interested in amateur radio. I handed him the documents that were
kindly printed out by the hotel management had kindly printed for me:
CEPT regulations of the DARC and this also in Greek language. The
hearing was very noisy and the objection of the attorney, he would
turn to the European Court, the judge adjourned the hearing, let me
go back to Germany and decreed that the lawyer could attend the next
hearing alone.

My wife and I had not taken any food for sixteen hours; it was not
even offered us. I had no way to sleep for 34 hours. All this as a
consequence of an anonymous tip that I had been working without
authorization and that I could hear other transmitters. The
prosecution referred to a charge on a law dating back to the year
1929!

I was acquitted of the first charge concerning amateur radio in the
second court date. I was however punished with 5 months of prison
with three years of probation for the refusal of handing out my
notebook and the attempt to make it unusable.
_____________________________________________


-- 
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