James Dalamoukas: Released with restrictive conditions pending extradition decision
The 56-year-old, Australia's number one wanted man, has been released from Agiou Stefanou prison. His extradition remains pending.
Dalamoukas out of prison: Free until extradition to Australia is decided
Shortly before 4 p.m., James Dalamoukas left Agiou Stefanou prison by car, after the competent appellate court panel accepted an application for his detention to be replaced, according to In.gr.
The 56-year-old's lawyer, Nikos Apostolopoulos, clarified that the release is temporary and accompanied by restrictive conditions. "The panel ruled that our arguments were valid, which is why it accepted the application. It ordered the replacement of detention until the extradition hearing. It has not yet been decided whether my client will be extradited," said Apostolopoulos.
The lawyer also argued that from 2025 there has been an intervention by the Athens Deputy Prosecutor, through which the offence is time-barred due to the expiry of 25 years. According to him, this intervention takes precedence and nullifies the European arrest warrant, with the result that his original arrest in Greece is deemed unjustified.
Dalamoukas is considered Australia's number one wanted man for decades. Australian authorities accuse him of the murder of fellow Greek Dimitris Giannópoulos and have submitted a request for his extradition. In an official statement, Australian authorities confirmed that "Dimitrios Dalamoukas remains one of Australia's most wanted, there is an active arrest warrant against him".
The release decision provoked a strong reaction from the victim's family. "What do you do with a man like this? You keep him in Greece and will let him out? The good thing is that they know his face and he cannot hide anymore," said George Giannópoulos's sister.
The victim's father's statement was even more forceful. "He didn't just kill my son. He killed another. And he has attacked my son's mother to hurt her," he said, calling for the extradition to proceed immediately. "He must go back there. He is an Australian citizen, he came there with fake documents," he added, stating that Dalamoukas's remaining free in Greece would be "very unpleasant" for the country.
The extradition request from Australia remains pending, and the case will be re-examined by the competent panel at its next hearing. Until then, Dalamoukas remains free under the restrictive conditions that have been imposed.
Source: In.gr