Marfin arson trial: tensions outside courts as charges upgraded to terrorism
Those accused of the Marfin arson now face terrorism charges. Their supporters clashed with police outside the courts.
Marfin trial: upgrade to terrorism and incidents outside the courts
The indictment of three defendants accused of the arson attack on Marfin bank has been upgraded under anti-terrorism legislation, according to liberal.gr. What was a charge of intentional and concurrent homicide has now been reframed as constituting terrorist activities — alongside a parallel charge of attempted homicide against 24 bank employees.
As the defendants left the courts, tensions erupted between dozens of their supporters and police forces, who deployed chemical agents and stun grenades.
Political rallies outside courts: a broader phenomenon
In any criminal trial with a political dimension, the presence of crowds outside the courts has become an established practice — in Greece and internationally. In the United States, rallies took place outside the Supreme Court over trials concerning abortion, over the murder case of George Floyd, and during the multiple trials of Donald Trump. In Spain, rallies were organised during trials of Catalan independence activists; in France, similarly, over cases of police violence and environmental prosecutions.
In Greece, rallies have taken place outside the courts over the murder case of Alexandros Grigoropoulos, over trials of police officers in connection with incidents of violence against Roma, over the Golden Dawn trial — where more than 50,000 people gathered — and over the trial concerning the death of Zak Kostopulo. Rallies have also been recorded at the beginning of trials over the Tempi and Mati incidents, and in 2023 during a trial concerning 17 November.
The particularity of the Marfin case
Liberal.gr emphasises that yesterday's rally in support of those accused of the Marfin arson differs fundamentally from previous ones. The other rallies, regardless of their political evaluation, had a recognisable ideological logic: defence of judicial independence, assertion of rights, or expression of opposition to institutions which those gathered considered oppressive.
In the Marfin case, the victims were private-sector employees — people without the ability to be absent from their work. They did not belong to any of the categories which far-left rhetoric characterises as "enemies": they were not capitalists, major employers, or representatives of forces of repression.
Liberal.gr characterises this murder as "more fascistic than murders that have been committed under a political guise", arguing that the victims lack for the perpetrators even the perfunctory ideological justifications invoked in other cases.
Pressure on the judiciary or legitimate expression?
The article poses the question of whether such rallies — even when lawful — constitute extrajudicial pressure on prosecutors and judges. Liberal.gr contends that the pursuit of imposing "popular verdict" based on "common sense of justice" transforms the public space into an informal popular tribunal, threatening the independence of the judiciary.
The trial for the Marfin arson is ongoing. The guilt or innocence of the defendants will be determined by the court.
Source: Google News GR — Crime (el)