Palestinian man arrested for putting Greece a risk even of “reprisals”

Greek police have arrested a Palestinian man, who climbed up a street light  with Palestinian flag at pro-Palestinian rally outside the Parliament on Sunday.

The 22-year-old climbed a light post and attached a pole with the Palestinian and Greek flags. Footage of his actions was later circulated on social media, where some users claimed that he took down a Greek flag.

Police said it identified and detained a 22-year-old man of Palestinian nationality, who raised the flag of his country during a rally at Syntagma Square.

👮 Ταυτοποιήθηκε και προσήχθη 22χρονος, υπήκοος Παλαιστίνης, ο οποίος εμφανίζεται σε βίντεο το οποίο αναπαράγεται στα μέσα κοινωνικής δικτύωσης να υψώνει τη σημαία της χώρας του κατά τη διάρκεια συγκέντρωσης στο Σύνταγμα, την Κυριακή 5 Νοεμβρίου 2023.

— Ελληνική Αστυνομία (@hellenicpolice) November 7, 2023

Police has initially posted that the man was detained, later that he was arrested, however, without clarifying what criminal charges would be brought against him, apparently waiting for a … political decision.

Minister for Citizens Protection initially posted about the man’s “arrest” for placing the Palestinian flag and then the Greek flag on a pole.”

Ύστερα από ενδελεχή έρευνα της @hellenicpolice συνελήφθη το άτομο που την Κυριακή, στο πλαίσιο διαδήλωσης στο Σύνταγμα, τοποθέτησε παλαιστινιακή και κατόπιν ελληνική σημαία σε στύλο. Ο συλληφθείς παραπέμπεται στη Δικαιοσύνη.

Η ΕΛ.ΑΣ., σε ένα ιδιαίτερα δύσκολο και πολλαπλώς… https://t.co/rEGK2FeO5o

— Γιάννης Οικονόμου (@joikonomou) November 7, 2023

A few hours later, media reported citing the Greek Police that the man was arrested according to the a provision of Article 141 of the Criminal Code for exposing the Greek state to the risk of reprisals or disruption of friendly relations with an ally.

“Whoever by their intention and by any actions exposes the Greek state or its ally or its inhabitants to the risk of reprisals or exposes the friendly relations of the Greek state or its ally with a foreign state.

PS I can hardly believe that the conservative government of Greece is afraid of ‘reprisals’ by Israel or even disturbance of their deep-rooted friendly relations, especially when people hold dozens of Palestinian flags during such rallies or that a former ND minister had to officially apologize to the Jewish for his having denied the Holocaust.