Archive note: This text comes from the old archive of Nomika Epilekta and is carefully preserved for historical and informational reading.

A basic feature of democracy is the equality of citizens before the law. In other words, all citizens, without distinction, are subject to the laws, must respect them and are punished when they violate them.

This democratically self-evident principle is not applied in contemporary Greece, because most of the powerful (the "strong" of the Byzantine period or the "notables" of foreign domination) are not punished when they break the laws but, many times, are praised for it.

The examples of impunity of the powerful are countless and constitute the rule, just as countless and typical are the examples of the weak and economically vulnerable, who suffer excessive and, many times, inhuman and crushing punishments disproportionate to the violation.

The perception has become entrenched that the economically and socially (politically) powerful person is not punished and always prevails, while the socially and economically weak person is persecuted.

A study would be useful concerning the penalties imposed in recent years and also concerning those convicted and, mainly, those imprisoned, from which useful conclusions would be drawn and the above observation would probably be confirmed rather than disproved, because those who lack the means to defend themselves are usually confined in prison, and not always the truly guilty. We will pursue such a study by all lawful means.

This situation is due to the structure of contemporary society and, more specifically, to the fact that it seems as if there is no social orientation, no social values and no principles; there is a degradation of education and popular learning, with the prevalence of the ruthless, the opportunists and those who possess political relationships, connections and access together with gigantic financial resources.

The representatives, from time to time, of the state mechanism for administering justice show particular respect and honor to the powerful and despise the weak; this finding arises, among other things, from the trials conducted and their course.

In general, the situation in contemporary Greece has reached an impasse and, for this reason, immediate actions must be undertaken by those who claim competence, but also by society as a whole, by each individual citizen, in order to restore equality before the law, as it is provided, as a fundamental right and basic principle, by the constitution and also by international agreements, conventions, treaties and declarations.