Giotópoulos returned to Korydallos following Court of Cassation decision
The leader of the "17 November" group returned to Korydallos prison on Tuesday, 26 days after his release, following a decision by the Court of Cassation.
Giotópoulos' return to Korydallos – Court of Cassation overturned release
Alexandros Giotópoulos, leader of the terrorist organisation "17 November", was transferred back to Korydallos prison on the morning of Tuesday, 16 June, 26 days after his release. This development followed a decision by the Criminal Division of the Court of Cassation, which accepted the deputy prosecutor's petition for annulment and overturned the ruling that had opened the way for his release, according to ERT.
Shortly after 08:00, Giotópoulos departed from the General Police Directorate of Attica (GADA), where he had spent the night. Under escort of a strong police force, he was transported initially to the Prosecutor's Office of the Piraeus Court of Appeal, where he remained for approximately one hour. Subsequently, a convoy took him to Korydallos, where he arrived just before 10:00.
The transfer was carried out under strict security measures, with the participation of armed officers from the Counter-Terrorism Service. Giotópoulos will be held in the women's wing of the prison, where the special detention cells for "17 November" members are located. Dimitris Koufodinas and brothers Christódoulos and Sábvas Xiros are already held there. Giotópoulos himself had remained in the same cell for 24 years, until his release on 21 May.
The procedure that caused delay
His return was not smooth. On the afternoon of Monday, 15 June, Giotópoulos left his residence in Vyróna by taxi, escorted by patrol cars, heading towards Korydallos. However, the necessary prison document had not been issued, with the result that the procedure was not completed. Following contacts between the competent prosecutorial authorities, Giotópoulos returned to GADA that evening, where he spent the night.
The Court of Cassation's reasoning
The 5th Criminal Division of the Court of Cassation ruled that the decision by the Judicial Council of Piraeus violated law 4855/2021, which stipulates mandatory actual service of at least 25 years for those convicted more than once to life imprisonment. The senior judges also found that the ruling by the Piraeus appellate court was inadequately reasoned.
Specifically, the Court of Cassation ruled that good conduct, educational activity within prison, and compliance with leave conditions since 2022 do not in themselves constitute a sufficient basis for early release before completion of the 25-year period.
Case law for those with multiple life sentences
The Court of Cassation's decision is binding on lower courts and now establishes case law. According to this, the 2021 law applies uniformly: every person convicted of multiple life sentences must serve at least 25 years. After completion of this period, the judiciary continues to rule on a case-by-case basis for possible conditional release.
The development affects all cases of those with multiple life sentences in the country, clearly establishing the legal limits and conditions for release under the current legislative framework.
Source: ERT