Additional charges of terrorist homicide in Marfin case — three suspects remanded in custody at Evelpidon
An additional charge of homicide in the context of a terrorist act has been brought against three remanded suspects over the Marfin bank tragedy of 2010. The case will be tried by a three-judge felony court of appeals, not by a mixed jury court.
Terrorist homicide the new charge for the three Marfin defendants
An additional prosecution for homicide in the context of a terrorist act has been brought against the three remanded suspects over the Marfin bank tragedy of 2010, according to To Vima. The defendants were transferred under heavy police presence to the courthouse at Evelpidon, where they appeared before an investigating magistrate.
The three remanded suspects are expected to request an adjournment in order to prepare their defence against the new, additional charge that has been brought against them. The prosecution resulted from an initiative by the investigating magistrate, who, on the basis of evidence she had gathered, approached the prosecutorial authorities for an additional prosecution.
What the new charge covers
The additional prosecution concerns two distinct acts. Firstly, the death of three bank employees — including among them a pregnant woman — who lost their lives during a major demonstration in central Athens, in the midst of the economic crisis. Secondly, the attempted murder of 24 people in total who were inside the branch at that time and managed to escape.
Both charges — both the homicide and the attempted murder — are attributed within the context of terrorist activity. This means that Article 187 of the Penal Code is activated, which governs terrorist acts, significantly aggravating the legal position of the defendants.
From mixed jury court to three-judge felony appeals court
The new prosecution has immediate consequences for the composition of the court that will try the case. Based on the new charges, the trial for the Marfin tragedy will no longer take place before a mixed jury court — in which ordinary citizens participate as jurors by majority — but before the three-judge felony court of appeals, which is composed exclusively of experienced judges of second instance.
The transfer of jurisdiction to a professional court is considered an exceptionally significant development, as it radically changes the procedural framework of the trial.
Arrests following reassessment of evidence
The three defendants were arrested and remanded in custody following a reassessment of the material that existed from the 2010 events, in combination with thorough investigations by the competent authorities. The additional prosecution that followed further aggravates their position, which was already particularly difficult.
Source: To Vima