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The
first Greek professional soldier refuses to fight The acts of resistance against the unlawful occupation of Iraq in the Greek army become more and more. For the first time, a Greek PROFESSIONAL soldier declares publicly that he refuses to be deployed in Iraq. Seaman Apprentice George Monastiriotis, 23 years old, a professional soldier who has a 5 years contract with the Hellenic Navy, refused to embark the battleship "NAVARINO" (he is a member of its crew) that will be sailing for the Persian Gulf in a few days. He also declared his immediate resignation from the Hellenic Navy. Although the battleship "NAVARINO" will be in the Persian Gulf as part of the "Enduring Freedom" operation, which officially has nothing to do with the occupation of Iraq, it will actually support the occupying forces. The navy has not responded to the declaration of the 23-year-old Seaman Apprentice, yet. However he faces the threat of being court martialled. His full statement is presented below: STATEMENT OF REFUSAL Acting on the basis of my conscience, I refuse to take part or contribute by any means in the relentless slaughter of the Iraqi people. I refuse to take part in a war that is not ended, as even now after its official end people and among them many children are being killed. Even if this war is officially finished, many more are to come, as war is necessary for the expansion of the dominance of the ruling powers. I declare my immediate resignation from the Hellenic Navy, which is a mechanism that promotes inhuman practices through orders and hierarchy and acts as a means of extortion and repression of the movement and the uprisings of the people. My refusal is also the minimal act of solidarity due to the Iraqi people and to the peaceful sentiments of the Greek people. You can
send him messages of support at his email: You can also send messages of support for him to the Hellenic Navy Staff: contact@hellenicnavy.gr |