ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ

ΗΔΙΑΚΟΝΙΑ ΤΩΝ ΚΡΑΤΟΥΜΕΝΩΝ «Ο Άγιος Ληστής του Γολγοθά», της Ορθοδόξου Αδελφότητος «Η ΟΣΙΑ ΞΕΝΗ» (Πλαγιάρι-Θεσσαλονίκης)  με επικεφαλής τον πνευματικώς Προϊστάμενο αυτής, Αρχιμανδρίτη Γερβάσιο Ιωάν. Ραπτόπουλο, θα επισκεφθεί στις 4 Μαΐου ε.έ., ημέρα Τετάρτη της Διακαινησίμου, στις 10.30΄π.μ. το Κατάστημα Κράτησης Θεσσαλονίκης με τη συμμετοχή 120 συνεργατών και συνδρομητών της «Διακονίας». 

Η εκδήλωση περιλαμβάνει:

1.Εκκλησιαστικούς πασχαλινούς ύμνους και χριστιανικά τραγούδια.               2. Συνοπτική δέηση «υπέρ των εν Φυλακαίς όντων». 3. Προσφώνηση του Διευθυντή 4. Αντιφώνηση και επίκαιρη ομιλία προς τους κρατουμένους από τον      π. Γερβάσιο. Και 5. Προσφορά δεμάτων στον κάθε κρατούμενο χωριστά, περιέχοντα είδη βασικής ανάγκης.

Πληροφοριακά σημειώνουμε ότι η ΔΙΑΚΟΝΙΑ ΤΩΝ ΚΡΑΤΟΥΜΕΝΩΝ «Ο Άγιος Ληστής του Γολγοθά» ιδρύθηκε το 1978 και στα 39 χρόνια λειτουργίας της μέχρι σήμεραέχει αποφυλακίσει συνολικά 16.000 άπορους μικροποινίτες κρατουμένους και φυγοποίνους από τις Ελληνικές Φυλακές, καθώς και από 90 χώρες του κόσμου, με αντίστοιχη δαπάνη 5.150.000,00 ευρώ, που καταβλήθηκαν στο Δημόσιο Ταμείο. Και οι αποφυλακίσεις συνεχίζονται.

The Rev. Gervasios Raptopoulos from Greece visited the below mentioned prisons in Russia:

1. The Prison in Butirka, on 10^th October 2009.
2. The Judicial Prison n.1 in Moscow, on 13^th October 2009.
3. The Prisoners’ Hospital in Moscow on 13^th October 2009.
4. The Women’s Prison in Mozaisk on 28^th January 2010.
5. The Juveniles’ Prison of Mozaisk on 28^th January 2010.
6. The Prisoners’ In Custody Prison in Mozaisk on 27^th January, 2011.

TheRev. Gervasios Raptopoulos with his partners visited the above mentioned prisons giving a lot of presents to the prisoners (tracksuits, socks, gloves, towels, e.t.c.).

On the other hand, he had been participating for 3 years by a Paper in the International Congress of the Patriarchate of Moscow, which is held annually, from 24^th to 29^th January.

He also released on bail a young Russian prisoner from a Moscow prison by sending € 1.450,00 from Greece.

  Οι εκδηλώσεις αγάπης μας είναι:

• We release poor prisoners who are held in Prisons for minor penalties, and we provide financial support to cover their legal expenses. The Hellenic Republic gives the defendant the option of fine for sentences up to 30 months. Those who are financially able, pay the fine immediately. But what about those who cannot afford to pay the fine? They are led to Prison. We pay the fine for their sentence, after we receive a document prepared by the Prison Social Service, which provides information for the prisoners' marital status and their inability to pay the fine o­n their own. We, then, send the relevant amount, up to 300  Euros  in each case, with a letter to the released prisoner for a personal contact with him. In this letter we mention the motives which made us think of him, pray for him and pay his fine.
• We pay the fines for small penalties, up to 300  Euros, for people condemned in absentia. In order to avoid their arrest by the Police Authorities, we intervene, after we receive the relevant documents by the Police Authorities, and pay the fines of these poor people, so that they are not prosecuted any longer. We send a relevant letter to them as well.
• We pay the fines and we release poor Greeks who are imprisoned in foreign countries, where the law for the option of fine is also valid. In this manner, we have already achieved the release of poor prisoners in South Korea, New Mexico-USA, and Cyprus.
• We dispatch money to poor prisoners, either Greeks, foreigners, or of other religions, without any discriminations, so that they can pay for the basic needs they have in Prison (Egypt, Albania, Kenya, Congo, Libya, Madagascar, Thailand, Tunisia).
• We visit Greek Prison Farms and engage in the following program: we have the Divine Liturgy, give a relevant talk, organize entertaining events, supply prisoners with primary necessities, give money to the prison fund for the relief of the poor so that they can cover the urgent needs of prisoners. We visit Prisons abroad with the following program: Give an opportune talk, offer presents and provide meals provided we have the necessary permit by the Prison authorities.

The releases of poor prisoners and the payments of fines for poor defendants increase every day.
We have already achieved the release of   13.800  poor prisoners with a total cost of
3.350.000 EURO.
The majority of prisoners respond positively either by calling to thank us, or by sending a letter of thanks, underlying at the same time their decision for a new life in Christ, without the mistakes of the past.