The event entitled “From Maritime Migration Routes to the Courtrooms” was successfully held yesterday, featuring the screening of Stelios Kouloglou’s documentary “142 Years.”
As noted in her introductory remarks, Maria Repousi, Historian and Director of the Nikos Poulantzas Institute (NPI), emphasized that “the documentary is not merely a record of personal stories. It constitutes a theoretical and political commentary on the treatment of refugees within the contemporary European and Greek context. […] This phenomenon cannot be interpreted as an isolated case; it reflects the systematic criminalization of survival, whereby the need for self-protection is transformed into legal culpability.”
At the same time, she underlined that the film “brings to light another dimension: the criminalization of acts of solidarity. Individuals who provide assistance and contribute to the survival and protection of refugees also face legal prosecution — a form of social criminalization of solidarity.”
The film “invites us to reflect on the cultural and legal framework that determines who is labeled a criminal, who is recognized as a victim, and who is acknowledged as a citizen acting in solidarity. It is an invitation to critically examine the social structures, legal practices, and cultural narratives that legitimize violence and injustice.”
The screening served as a starting point for an open discussion on migration, with particular emphasis on its legal, social, and human dimensions. Audience participation brought forward reflections and questions that remain timely and pressing.
We would like to thank everyone who attended and contributed with their presence and voice to this important gathering.
View photos from the event:
