Three arrested in Greece for explosions targeting politicians
Greek police have arrested three people in connection with incendiary attacks targeting members of the ruling conservative party. A 72-year-old woman was killed in one of the attacks.
Three arrested in Greece for explosions targeting politicians
Greek counter-terrorism police arrested three people on Friday who are connected to a series of incendiary attacks targeting members of the ruling conservative party "New Democracy". The country's authorities announced this.
On 1 July, before dawn, in the northern city of Thessaloniki, an improvised explosive device made from camping gas canisters detonated. The explosion occurred beneath a car belonging to the family of Aphrodite Nestor, a candidate for parliament. A 72-year-old woman, Vaia Nestor, the mother of the politician, was killed in the incident. The politician herself sustained burns, whilst her father and two residents of the apartment building were injured. On Thursday, A. Nestor left the hospital temporarily to attend her mother's funeral.
Two further attacks against other party members took place the same night, which did not however result in injuries.
Police announced that a 29-year-old man was arrested in Thessaloniki who is suspected of involvement in the explosion outside A. Nestor's home. A 26-year-old woman was arrested in the southern part of Crete. A third man was arrested on the charge that he had hidden these two individuals in his flat.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who also leads "New Democracy", stated in parliament that the state calls on the terrorists to take responsibility. "This is democracy's answer to violence. The only answer of democracy to violence," he said.
Greece has a long history of politically motivated violence that dates back to the 1970s. Local extremist groups frequently use improvised explosive devices made from camping gas canisters, which typically cause only material damage.
Similar incidents have occurred in the country over the past year. In May 2025, a 38-year-old woman was killed in Thessaloniki when an explosive device she was holding detonated in her hands. Authorities reported that she was planning to place a bomb outside a bank. Two months later, a device exploded outside the home of the head of the Greek Prison Officers' Union — two people were slightly injured by shrapnel. In April 2024, a bomb exploded near the offices of the country's main railway organisation in a busy area of central Athens, with no casualties. Responsibility for this attack was claimed by a new extremist group.
Source: 15min