EXTRACT: We believe this sentence aims at teaching a lesson to the Farmers Root Struggle and intends to criminalize and reduce financial and social support for the anti-GM movement.

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UNFAIR SENTENCE FOR JOSEP PAMIES

Defence announces appeal to the Provincial Court Support Campaign with Josep Pamies, Information Release 27/06/2007

First, we declare our rejection of the judicial sentence 181/2007 of the second trial of the Criminal Court of Lleida. The sentence acquitted Josep Pamies of the convictions for rebellion against authority and personal injury filed by the public prosecutor and the own defendant for personal injury. Hence, illogically, the Judge condemned him for two non-serious offences (disobedience and injury) and claimed him liable for the 329-days sick leave of Policeman Jimenez Sacanell and for the reported after effects. This implies two small fines and a [Euros]22.000 compensation for the policeman, in addition to covering of the trial expenses. The defence will appeal to the Provincial Court of Lleida.

From the campaign we think that the trial evidenced the bad faith of the policeman and the irregularity of the procedure following the claim.

At no time was it proved that Josep Pamies assaulted the person pursuing the claim nor that he was on the front line when the facts occurred. The Judge gave faith to the policeman version, the only record incriminating Josep, while the claimant's credibility was repeatedly questioned during the trial because of his interest in retiring with a double pension if he wins the case.

The day it happened, Sacanell didn't ask for reinforcements so as to arrest nor even one demonstrator but, curiously, he accused Pamies of assault after one year [ie a year later]. Why did he wait for so long? Today we know that Sacanell were under pressure to denounce Pamies and to make a claim for the demonstrator's intrusion into the building. Sacanell didn't even go to be seen by a doctor before three days, when he went to his local doctor, while usually the security forces go immediately after the events and turn to the emergency branch.

None of the tests and X-rays showed serious wounds during the sick leave of the claimant, before the explorative surgery he went through in answer to the persistent pain.

In the trial, proof was given that Sacanell had had previously a wound on this part of the body, two year before, which casts doubt on the claim and the real origin of the 329-days sick leave. In any case, there is no logic whatsoever for the Judge to held Pamies guilty when she herself acknowledges the probable possibility that the leave was due to a worsening of state of the previous wound. At worst, the hipothetical guilt of Pamies would suppose compensations for the wound of the day of the event (curable with a cloth dressing and painkillers according to the forensic examination).

We consider that the Judge was prejudiced and acted consequently on the very day of the trial, not letting the present companions getting in publicly, claiming that amongst them may be violent people. We think that those very prejudices biased the sentence. We believe this sentence aims at teaching a lesson to the Farmers Root Struggle and intends to criminalize and reduce financial and social support for the anti-GM movement.

We see as very positive the solidarity that cropped up at the occasion, as well as the numerous signs of support showed amongst the 250 entities and by the 3,000 people and more that signed the manifest. From the Support Campaign and some entities that conform it, we are launching a new platform, "We Are What We Sow", as a strategy to declare Catalonia GM Free through a popular legislative initiative.

We will travel across every part of Catalonia with a tractor and a GM Free cart, from Balaguer to the Placa Sant Jaume in Barcelona. The idea is to collect 50,000 signatures to take the law to the Catalan Parliament and, at the same time, to feed the critical opinion on the actual food and agriculture model. If the judicial resorts don't give a positive result, the signature recollection will also enable us to gather 50,000[Euros] to pay for the trial expenses caused by the claim of Sacanell.

We Are What We Sow

Ask your friends to [declare their support] at www.assembleapagesa.cat or www.freepamies.org

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