KKE Rhodope Committee backs farmers, demands immediate withdrawal of prosecutions
The Rhodope Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) has strongly criticized the decision to summon numerous farmers for questioning over their participation in agricultural protests in Gümülcine, calling for all charges to be dropped immediately.
In a statement released on Monday, the committee described the legal proceedings against protesting farmers as an attempt to intimidate and suppress those fighting for their livelihoods.
The committee noted that farmers had maintained demonstrations and road blockades for nearly 50 days in an effort to draw attention to longstanding challenges facing the agricultural sector, including rising production costs and declining incomes. According to KKE, instead of addressing these structural problems, the government has chosen to activate judicial mechanisms against those involved in the protests.
The statement also highlighted the ongoing public debate surrounding the OPEKEPE agricultural subsidy scandal, arguing that targeting farmers struggling to make ends meet has generated widespread public concern.
The Rhodope Regional Committee further recalled that a legislative proposal submitted by the KKE Parliamentary Group seeking to decriminalize farmers’ protest actions was rejected by the government. The committee called for the immediate withdrawal of all prosecutions, the dismissal of charges against the farmers, and the continuation of collective action to defend agricultural livelihoods.
