Greece’s Supreme Court has ordered the return to prison of Alexandros Giotopoulos, the convicted leader of the disbanded November 17 militant organisation, less than three weeks after he was released on parole.
The 82-year-old, who is serving 17 life sentences plus an additional 25 years for his role in the group’s campaign of assassinations and bombings, was released from Korydallos Prison on May 21 after spending around 24 years behind bars.
However, the Supreme Court has overturned the decision that granted his conditional release, ruling that he had not yet met the legal requirements to qualify for parole.
The decision followed an appeal by Deputy Supreme Court Prosecutor Sofoklis Logothetis, who argued that legislation introduced in 2021 requires inmates serving multiple life sentences to complete at least 25 years in prison before becoming eligible for release.
The ruling reinstates an earlier lower court decision that had rejected Giotopoulos’ application and means he must immediately return to custody.
Police gathered outside his residence as arrangements were made for his return to prison. Reports indicated he would first spend the night at Athens police headquarters before appearing before a prosecutor in Piraeus.
The case will now be reconsidered by a different panel of the Piraeus Appeals Court, although the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the law is binding on future proceedings.
Giotopoulos was arrested on the island of Lipsi in 2002 and convicted the following year as the leader of November 17, the militant group responsible for a decades-long campaign of attacks targeting Greek and foreign officials, diplomats and military personnel. His final sentence was handed down in 2007.
The case remains highly sensitive in Greece due to the group’s violent legacy and the continued imprisonment of other convicted members, including Dimitris Koufontinas and the Xeros brothers.
Source: Ekathimerini
