Prosecutor on terror appeal case confirms verdict for 6 out of 17 defendants

The court is concurrently trying on appeal three cases - those relating to parcel bombs sent to foreign leaders and embassies in Greece and abroad; those in which the group has assumed responsibility; and those related to police searches of homes in 2010 in Attica and rural Greece.

The case is being tried at the Korydallos jail premises, near Piraeus.

Prosecutor Sotiris Bayias proposed that terrorism charges should stand for four men - including Ger. Tsakalos, I. Michailidis, Th. Mavropoulos, and K. Sakkas - and two women, O. Economidou and St. Antoniou. Another nine should be dismissed in this case, as they have already been served sentences for terrorism in other cases and should not go on trial again for the same thing - these included defendants Haris Chatzimichelakis, Damianos Bolanos, Chr. Tsakalos, G. Nikolopoulos, Mich. Nikolopoulos, G. Polydorou, P. Argyrou, G. Karagiannidis and Al. Mitrousias.

Bayias also called for a verdict of innocent for K. Papadopoulos, as "a person cannot be member of an organisation and not be under charge for any other act. A member who does not participate in any act is not a member," he said. "The fact that the defendants stayed overnight at his house means absolutely nothing."

The prosecutor also proposed that Ch. Chatzimichelakis, who has already been served a sentence in another case, be dismissed in this case on charges of directing the organisation and instigating criminal acts, as Bayias said he did not feel the defendant had the characteristics of a leader.

"For someone to have a leading position he has to have specific characteristics, none of which I believe exist in this case," he said, continuing, "If anybody did a psychological profile of the defendant, he would see that during the time in question he was in jail and could not have convinced all the rest to carry out these acts in question. In addition, the political stance of the defendants do not agree with the logic of hierarchy."

Among other proposals, he said that nine of the defendants should be found guilty for sending parcel bombs and possessing explosions, along with other charges, but another five in the case should be dismissed because their guilt could not proven beyond reasonable doubt.

He also asked for the sentencing of Theof. Mavropoulos for attempted murder during a bloody clash with the police in the northern suburb of Pefki in May 2011, which had resulted in his injury and that of two policement.