Kostas Arvanitis for Tempi / We call it crime (video)

A video of his intervention in the PETI committee of the European Parliament in the discussion of Maria Karystianou’s report on the crime in Tempi was published by Costas Arvanitis, stressing that “we call it crime”.

🔻 We say so #Crime.

My intervention in the committee #PETI in the discussion of Mrs. M. Karystianou’s report on the crime in #Tempe.#We are here@syriza_gr @SYRIZAEP @Left_EU pic.twitter.com/Ron6R7493G

— Kostas Arvanitis 🔻 (@kostarvanitis) March 19, 2024

It is recalled that the next step for the vindication of the 57 dead of Tempe, took place yesterday as the European Parliament, specifically the PETI Petitions committee, unanimously recognized the petition of Mrs. Karystianou on behalf of the Association of Relatives of Tempe Victims 2023 which was discussed in the European Parliament with the urgent procedure at the request of Kostas Arvanitis. While dozens of citizens had gathered outside the EP, in a demonstration of support for the parents of Tempe and against the cover-up, the committee decided that the report would remain open, it would be referred to the competent committees of Justice (LIBE) and Transport (TRAN), while it was also requested written reply from the European Commission.

“We were brought here by the desperate collapse of trust we are experiencing in Greece, in relation to the proper functioning of the institutions. Simple, well-intentioned and law-abiding people, we do not allow the legalization of impunity.” Maria Karystianou addressed the committee with these words, speaking standing up, out of respect for the dead.

What M. Karystianou said in her speech was shocking: “I am standing before you today, carrying the very heavy burden of a huge responsibility that I hope no one will have to undertake again through such tragic circumstances. I have a responsibility because I speak not only as a mother who lost her child and as a representative of the families of the victims. I have responsibility because our voice has grown and merged with the voice of 1,350,000 citizens who have co-signed our just request and from this step I thank them for their so moving support. And all the Greeks, whose souls are here with us today.”

He added that “the guarantees of the rule of law have ceased to function in Greece. We address you as Greeks and as Europeans. not as beggars, but as citizens with self-evident rights.” He asked the committee not to close the report in memory of the dead and in the name of the Rule of Law as, as he said, all the Greek people are certain of the cover-up.

SYRIZA-PS MEP Kostas Arvanitis, after expressing his self-evident support to the relatives of the victims of the crime of Tempe, emphasized that “We must never forget that we are here to serve the interest of European citizens”.

Having unequivocally referred to the incident as a crime, Costas Arvanitis also spoke about the recent statements of Laura Kövesi, with which the European Prosecutor outlined in gloomy colors the course of the investigations from the EU side.

Finally, he called on the bodies of the European Parliament to keep the case open, but to exhaust their means and powers to actively help in the search for the truth. He asked the European Parliament not to tolerate the collapse of the Rule of Law in any member and to defend the truth, transparency and justice.

In turn, the representative of the European Commission who was present at the meeting stated that the Commission will exhaust the possibilities given by its institutional role to help investigate the case, even announcing the dispatch of technical teams of experts to investigate the case and the drawing up of a relevant conclusion.

The entire speech of Ms. Karystianou:

Honorable ladies and gentlemen

I stand before you today, carrying the very heavy burden of a huge responsibility that I hope no one will have to undertake again through such tragic circumstances! I have a responsibility because I speak not only as a mother who lost her child and as a representative of the families of the victims. I have responsibility because our voice has grown and merged with the voice of 1,350,000 Citizens who have co-signed our just request and from this step I thank them for their so moving support. And all the Greeks, whose souls are here with us today.

I am before you, because the guarantees of the rule of law have ceased to function in Greece. We address you as Greeks and as Europeans. NOT as beggars, but as citizens with self-evident rights.

We confidently reach out to people who BOTH care AND can change things. We sincerely thank the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament that correctly and soberly sensed the urgency and accepted us at today’s hearing. What has led us here today is a sequence of evil manipulations and methods by the Greek government, which insults the memory of our dead and the dignity of the victims who survived. In fact, it blatantly violates fundamental principles of the Rule of Law.

In a few words, today we were brought here by the desperate collapse of trust that we are experiencing in Greece, in relation to the proper functioning of the institutions.

Simple, well-intentioned and law-abiding people, we do not allow the legalization of impunity.

Because of this, at the moment when the European Public Prosecutor’s Office finds, in relation to the infamous 717 contract, illegal acts and omissions that are causally connected to the accident, the Government through the Parliament provides the then competent Minister and current Member of Parliament full immunity. It does not EVEN bring him to justice.

Because of this, in the first 24 hours after the fatal collision, a government cover-up was ordered for which to this day no one has taken responsibility, even though it has been publicly acknowledged. During the collision, flammable and illegal substances caused a huge explosion that incinerated most of them. This cargo was NOT EVEN declared. Within 5 days they moved the debris and completely filled the area. Crucial evidence of guilt was lost. No intervention of Prosecutor and Investigator. Despite 6 months later, the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court urged us “to ask for help from the church”. Of course, you are already aware of the questioning of the Greek Judiciary because its head is appointed by the Government.

Today WE and ALL the Greek people are sure of the cover-up!

The Prime Minister and the former Minister were declaring that the railway is absolutely safe. Today the Prime Minister states that “the Railway is currently AS safe as it CAN be”. But clearly, he knows he’s NOT safe, and he’s okay with that.

It should be noted that National safety rules have not been established. Not even young people, of course, for increased safety after the accident, as mandated by the European directive. The law that incorporated it was NEVER actually implemented. The investigation process in Greece is developing in a way that now assures us that the truth will NOT shine, once again. But if the truth does NOT shine, it’s only a matter of time before evil happens again.

We do not expect you to become a people’s court. We expect, on the occasion of our personal drama, that you will inculcate with a deep sense of responsibility, three objects of major Union interest.

· In the Rule of Law

· To protect the life and physical integrity of citizens

· In the safety of transportation

For these reasons please:

• To keep the report open to your Committee,

• To request an Opinion on the subject from the LIBE and TRAN committees and from any other competent agency,

• Request from the Commission and ERA full official information and publication of the relevant material,

• To revoke the safety certificate of ERA until the completion of the investigations and the complete adaptation of the Greek legislation to the requirements of the European Law.

In memory of our dead, in the name of the Rule of Law and our common values, we hope you will listen to our legitimate and just request.

Thank you

The entire speech of Mr. Arvanitis:

It goes without saying that we will unreservedly support the fair and reasonable request of the Association of Relatives of Tempo Victims 2023.

We call it a crime.

We must never forget that we are here to serve the interest of the European citizens in the only elected EU body with the competence to carry out continuous control of the effective implementation of European legislation and to assess whether the European institutions respond to the needs and concerns of the citizens.

I, like my colleagues, will insist a little on the recent interviews of the European Prosecutor, Mrs. Kovesi, who said the following revealing verbatim:

First: “If the project had been completed on time and as it should have been, Tempe would not have happened.”

Second: “I really encourage people not to give up until they get justice. Don’t stop searching for the truth.” And they came right here, to the European Parliament.

Third: “They are blocking us from finding the truth,” said the Prosecutor. “They are blocking us from doing justice,” said the Prosecutor. “Because if you’re banned from doing research, you can’t reveal the truth.”

I don’t think I need to say anything more so that even the most skeptic will understand that there is a very serious matter and that here the truth must be sought in every direction.

In conclusion, I must say that the European Parliament does not tolerate the collapse of the Rule of Law and the destruction of EU legitimacy in any Member State, and it is not possible for the citizens of the Member States to understand and feel that they are also some who have immunity against the law.

I think that the motto that exists, at least in my country, is “Justice”.

Justice, Everywhere.