I booked a holiday trip break of one week on the island of Kos in Greece in May this year.
I took a HF station with me to give some DXers new band points or even a new country.
I could install a G5RV with the permission of the hotel management.
After three days, at 01 in the morning, my XYL DL6KCD and I were woken up by an attorney and five police officers in civilian clothes.
My wife is suffering from Alzheimer and has three bypasses.
I was accused of conducting radio communications without a Greek radio license.
The second accusation was that I could also watch other frequencies with my transceiver, a FT-890AT.
My objection was rejected that I operate legally on base of the CEPT regulations.
The hotel manager printed the CEPT list which is available on the website of the DARC and handed the printout out to the attorney.
The paper was ignored, folded and put into the pocket.
My transceiver was confiscated together with the power supply and the headphones with the remark that it had to be checked by a specialist.
They also tried to confiscate my notebook which I tried to defeat because the notebook was not related to the transceiver that had to be checked.
Two mobile phones, cameras and the log book were also confiscated;
we were handcuffed and taken to the police station.
The handcuffs were so tight that they cut into my flesh and draw blood.
I was taken to a hospital where the wound my on hand was treated.
In absence of a prison cell, the police wanted to put me into a drunk tank but the attending physician declined that.
So I had to spend four hours at the police station sitting on a chair.
My hint that I had to see my un-oriented wife was rejected by saying that she is enclosed in the (hotel?) room and being closely guarded from outside.
After long discussions I was then escorted by two police officers to visit my wife at the hotel, medicate and dress her.
Personal care and showering, was rejected.
Back at the police station a protocol was created.
Then we were driven to the courthouse. It was now 11AM. I was photographed and fingerprinted in the courtyard of the courthouse.
Then we waited again until 4PM under police protection, when I was presented to the attorney who explained me the charges in a two- minute talk: transmitting without permission, having a radio with frequencies other than intended for amateur radio operators and the hindrance in handing out my notebook.
I was commissioned to the court for the next day at 12:00.
I had to wait until 16:00 until a judge and an attorney came.
The judge told me that he had no translator and appointed a new proceeding for the next day at 12:00.
When I objected that we had to fly back the next day, he explained: "this is your problem". Finished.
I called the German Embassy in Athens on the morning of the next day and got the notification of the German-speaking lawyer on Kos.
We met an hour before the opening hearing.
My luck was that he was once interested in amateur radio.
I handed him the documents that were kindly printed out by the hotel management had kindly printed for me:
CEPT regulations of the DARC and this also in Greek language.
The hearing was very noisy and the objection of the attorney, he would turn to the European Court, the judge adjourned the hearing, let me go back to Germany and decreed that the lawyer could attend the next hearing alone.
My wife and I had not taken any food for sixteen hours; it was not even offered us.
I had no way to sleep for 34 hours.
All this as a consequence of an anonymous tip that I had been working without authorization and that I could hear other transmitters.
The prosecution referred to a charge on a law dating back to the year 1929!
I was acquitted of the first charge concerning amateur radio in the second court date.
I was however punished with 5 months of prison with three years of probation for the refusal of handing out my
notebook and the attempt to make it unusable.
Translated by DF3CB