[OT] Account of DJ6SI's arrest and maltreatment in Greece for ham operation

[Thomas Horsten]

Hi all,

I was planning to go on holiday to Greece this autumn/fall and operate with
my KX3 from an island hotel. But after reading shocking Baldur's story I
have changed my mind. I'll find another holiday destination. I'm forwarding
this report, from The Daily DX, with the permission of Bernie McClenny.
Just in case anyone else has plans to go to Greece and operate, I would
suggest you take precautions (e.g. by contacting the Greek authorities in
advance, or choose another country to operate from).

Bernie asked me to mention that a majority of the SV ops are outraged by
this incident, and it should not reflect badly on the Greek Amateur Radio
operators. I can only agree that Greek ham operators (and the Greek public
in general) are among the friendliest people I've encountered. As for how
it reflects on the Greek authorities, judge for yourself.

73, Thomas M0TRN

*Source: [The Daily DX] Vol. 16 No. 114 - June 12, 2012. Copyright (C)
Berline McClenny, used by permission.*

______________________________________________________________________

            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.
_____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

[Jeff Kinzli N6GQ]

For what it's worth, I'm in the Greek Islands now, and have been for the
past month. I was in SV5 when Baldur was arrested, and while on a different
island (Patmos) I understand the situation, and how things happened.

I'm currently in SV8, and am very close to Turkey. During the day, and at
night, Turkey is clearly within view only a few miles off the coast. For
this reason, I have suspended my operations on this island - even though it
is a large island. On the other islands, I was more active, but this one is
one that I'm not going to do any operating from.

We're on our way to 9H this weekend, and I'll be much more active from
there :)

My KX3 is in tow - and will be making Q's again soon :)

73 de SV8/N6GQ (aka 9H3ZZ)

On Thu, Jun 14, 2012 at 6:22 AM, Thomas Horsten <[hidden email]> wrote:

> **
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> I was planning to go on holiday to Greece this autumn/fall and operate
> with my KX3 from an island hotel. But after reading shocking Baldur's story
> I have changed my mind. I'll find another holiday destination. I'm
> forwarding this report, from The Daily DX, with the permission of Bernie
> McClenny. Just in case anyone else has plans to go to Greece and operate, I
> would suggest you take precautions (e.g. by contacting the Greek
> authorities in advance, or choose another country to operate from).
>
> Bernie asked me to mention that a majority of the SV ops are outraged by
> this incident, and it should not reflect badly on the Greek Amateur Radio
> operators. I can only agree that Greek ham operators (and the Greek public
> in general) are among the friendliest people I've encountered. As for how
> it reflects on the Greek authorities, judge for yourself.
>
> 73, Thomas M0TRN
>
> *Source: [The Daily DX] Vol. 16 No. 114 - June 12, 2012. Copyright (C)
> Berline McClenny, used by permission.*
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
>
>             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.
> _____________________________________________
>
>
>  __._,_.___
>   Reply to sender<[hidden email]?subject=Re%3A%20%5BOT%5D%20Account%20of%20DJ6SI%27s%20arrest%20and%20maltreatment%20in%20Greece%20for%20ham%20operation>| Reply
> to group<[hidden email]?subject=Re%3A%20%5BOT%5D%20Account%20of%20DJ6SI%27s%20arrest%20and%20maltreatment%20in%20Greece%20for%20ham%20operation>| Reply
> via web post<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KX3/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxZ2kwMHY2BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzc0NTIwOTQ3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2MzEwOARtc2dJZAM5MDczBHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3JwbHkEc3RpbWUDMTMzOTY4MDE4Mw--?act=reply&messageNum=9073>| Start
> a New Topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KX3/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJmbHZ0cnRkBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzc0NTIwOTQ3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2MzEwOARzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNudHBjBHN0aW1lAzEzMzk2ODAxODM->
> Messages in this topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KX3/message/9073;_ylc=X3oDMTM1dDUxbTdmBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzc0NTIwOTQ3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2MzEwOARtc2dJZAM5MDczBHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3Z0cGMEc3RpbWUDMTMzOTY4MDE4MwR0cGNJZAM5MDcz>(
> 1)
>  Recent Activity:
>
>    - New Members<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KX3/members;_ylc=X3oDMTJnYXBmaHBzBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzc0NTIwOTQ3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2MzEwOARzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2bWJycwRzdGltZQMxMzM5NjgwMTgz?o=6>
>    34
>    - New Photos<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KX3/spnew;_ylc=X3oDMTJnaWtydWZsBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzc0NTIwOTQ3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2MzEwOARzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2cGhvdARzdGltZQMxMzM5NjgwMTgz>
>    16
>
>  Visit Your Group<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KX3;_ylc=X3oDMTJmcGpobzNxBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzc0NTIwOTQ3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2MzEwOARzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzEzMzk2ODAxODM->
>  [image: Yahoo! Groups]<http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJlOW82N25jBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzc0NTIwOTQ3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2MzEwOARzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNnZnAEc3RpbWUDMTMzOTY4MDE4Mw-->
> Switch to: Text-Only<[hidden email]?subject=Change+Delivery+Format:+Traditional>,
> Daily Digest <[hidden email]?subject=Email+Delivery:+Digest>•
> Unsubscribe <[hidden email]?subject=Unsubscribe> • Terms
> of Use <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>
>    .
>
> __,_._,___
>

______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html