Fear Of The Black Blog

Frankly I would like to talk about the 10th planet of our solar system Xena or later called Eris (if Pluto is still considers to be a planet) or even proufs for the existence of dark matter (another one) and dark energy, but more earthly matters dictates me to post something else


(image from libertarian)
All of us who are writing down a few thoughts, that includes any kind of criticism, are constantly under the sleepless eye of Greek authorities and subsequently to be arrested for criticism. The triggering for this post is the trial of Antonis Tsipropoulos tommorow. If this sounds a bit confusing then let me tell you the story as it is...or as I have understand it.

Once there was a blog that its purpose, as we read, was to collect via RSS feeds information from Greek blogs and hospitalize them under one roof so that visitors could find what they want, sounds nice isn't it? From the blogme (in Greek):

Το Blogme directory ήταν κατάλογος που ταξινομούσε τα blogs, ανάλογα με το περιεχόμενο τους, πχ, αθλητισμός, τέχνες, κλπ,(όπως πχ το in.gr), έτσι ώστε να διευκολύνει τον επισκέπτη να περιηγηθεί εύκολα μέσα στις κατηγορίες που τον ενδιαφέρουν.

But one link referred to a site that satirised Dimostenis Liakopoulos (nope I will not place a link to his site, will not give him the pleasure), was enough for D.L. to sue him, that led to his arrest for "criminal actions".. He didn't even made a comment about D.L., but was pointed as collaborator. I will not link to the controversial site, but at blogme you can find it, cause I am also afraid of being persecuted.

WHAT THE FUCK

Constitution of Greece, article 14 (yeah right)

...stated at his site (yes he is the owner of about the freedom of speech...but in this country (God and whatever divine creature makes it one) only the powerful ones are entitled of freedom of any kind. As Antonis Tsipropoulosblogme), although numerous sites (including in.gr, and foreign ones as youtube) does "physically" store videos of D.L. (also the ones that satirise him) or shows on TV he was the one to be arrested.

and once more we are known world wide for the ridiculousness of the authorities

BBC about the Internet Governance Forum held on Athens from Monday 29 October 2006 to Thursday.
1030 ATHENS (0830 GMT)

The Internet Governance Forum has only just started but already there is controversy surrounding freedom of speech online.

There are several reports on the blogosphere that the Greek authorities arrested a man last week for linking to blog posts hosted in America that satirise a Greek businessman.

Antonis Tsipropoulos was arrested, say reports, for linking to a website which satires Dimostenis Liakopoulos, a Greek tele-evangelist.

Mr Tsipropoulos is the administrator for a Greek blog search engine, called blogme.gr.

Bloggers are describing this as a "spectacular own goal" by the Greek authorities, especially given the fact the country's prime minister Konstantinos Karamanlis and minister of transport and communication, Michalis Liapis, are attending the IGF's opening ceremony.

The Guardian "Blogging In The Free Speech World" an article worth reading

...The Greek hosts have scored a spectacular own goal with the reported arrest of Antonis Tsipropoulos, whose alleged "crime" was linking to blog posts hosted in the US that satirise a Greek businessman. Tsipropoulos is the administrator for a Greek blog search engine, blogme.gr.

The incident highlights again concerns raised by Irrepressible.info, a joint Amnesty International and Observer campaign promoting freedom of speech online.

In today's session on "openness", Theodoros Roussopoulos, the Greek minister of state, denied knowledge of the case but said: "We have a problem with bloggers who spread lies through television ... we have bloggers who create false news ... So yes, perhaps a code of behaviour is an idea."...

And many more, from newspapers to other blogs. Just Google it I found 882 posts.
I think that I will leave the rest to your judgment since there is a possibility to be arrested for my thoughts, and never to finish my thesis or going to Barcelona.

I THINK THUS I BEING ACCUSED

I forgot to mention that this is a case of making illegal every Blog in our Country, if Antonis Tsipropoulos found guilty

Also I found a few interesting sites that about bloggers rights (maybe there should be a Bloggers DAY)
Electronic Frontier Foundation


greekliberals.net