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

I was born in a free country, I grew up with the concept of democracy running through my veins, and I learned, as every Greek child must, to respect my homeland and protect it.

I also learned that I have the right to express my opinion freely, as long as I harm no one with it and always tell the truth.

I too won my freedom of speech, as we all did, and it is an inseparable right of mine.

On 10 December 1948, during the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted worldwide, securing freedom of speech.

Are you sure it still applies? I am not anymore.

It is called ACTA, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, and it is an agreement signed on 1 October 2011 by Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and the United States.

In January 2012 the European Union also agreed, and 22 member states signed as well, including Greece.

I do not remember hearing anything about it on the news. Why all this secrecy? For the agreement to enter into force, at least 6 of the total 31 states that have already signed must legitimize it.

This agreement supposedly protects anything that exists on the internet and is accompanied by copyright, and it prohibits its republication in any way, hidden or open. But it is not so innocent.

Among other things, it is mainly about imposing absolute censorship on everything circulated through the internet, so that all information, free communication, the connection of people, the exchange of thoughts, views, and opinions, as well as protests, reactions to government decisions, and above all criticism and every opposition to authorities can be controlled.

The video below will fully explain exactly what we lost in January 2012. I cannot say it. I no longer have freedom of speech.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63JyXmu0fqM

But I am Greek, and I was not taught to bow my head. To close our mouths, they will have to turn the whole country into a prison large enough to hold us. Or rather, the whole planet. Because the truth cannot be hidden, drowned, or gagged.

The truth shines.