Convicted Leader of Greek Militant Group Ordered Back to Prison
The Supreme Court of Greece has ordered Alexandros Giotopoulos, the 82-year-old convicted leader of the now-defunct militant group 'November 17,' back to Korydallos Prison after overturning his conditional release. Police arrested him at his Athens home on June 16, days after the ruling. The decision follows a prosecutor’s appeal and comes amid diplomatic tensions over his earlier release. Giotopoulos faces 17 life sentences for his role in the group’s violent activities.
What changed
The Supreme Court’s ruling on June 16 directly reversed a May 21 Appeals Council decision granting conditional release, with Giotopoulos now detained pending further proceedings.
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Greek Supreme Court Reverses Giotopoulos Release, Orders Immediate Prison Return
confidence 97%The Supreme Court of Greece has ordered Alexandros Giotopoulos, the 82-year-old convicted leader of the now-defunct militant group 'November 17,' back to Korydallos Prison after overturning his conditional release. Police arrested him at his Athens home on June 16, days after the ruling. The decision follows a prosecutor’s appeal and comes amid diplomatic tensions over his earlier release. Giotopoulos faces 17 life sentences for his role in the group’s violent activities.
What's confirmed:
- Alexandros Giotopoulos, 82, was arrested at his home in the Athens suburb of Vyronas on June 16 and returned to Korydallos Prison following the Supreme Court’s decision.
- The Supreme Court overturned a May 21 ruling by the Piraeus Appeals Council that had granted Giotopoulos conditional release, citing legal error in the process.
- Giotopoulos was convicted and sentenced to 17 life terms for his involvement in the 'November 17' militant group, which carried out bombings and assassinations in Greece.
- His conditional release in May had triggered diplomatic protests from Türkiye, which the Supreme Court’s reversal appears to address.
- Giotopoulos appeared before a prosecutor on June 16 and was immediately transferred to Korydallos, a high-security prison in Athens.
Still unconfirmed:
- Giotopoulos’s advanced age and health were factors considered in the original conditional release, though the Supreme Court did not address these in its reversal.