A razor-slim majority of Athens Bar Association (DSA) board members on Thursday demanded the resignation of Supreme Court prosecutor Konstantinos Tzavellas, an unprecedented decision aimed to express disapproval of the latter’s decision not to not to reopen the Predator wiretapping case.
The decision was adopted by a slim majority (12 in favor, 11 against with two abstentions). Notably, the president of the Athens Bar Association, Andreas Koutsoulampros, opposed the motion.
The decision argues that the high court prosecutor’s decision constitutes an “institutional deviation”.
Tzavellas had determined that no new evidence emerged from a recent guilty ruling by a single-member Athens misdemeanor court, which convicted four private individuals and imposed maximum sentences.
In its decision, the ABA levels strong criticism regarding both the top prosecutor’s stance and its implications for the rule of law in a case described as having significant institutional impact.
The board also approved a series of further actions, including: organizing a formal protest by the Bar Association’s board at the Supreme Court; supporting the victims of the phone surveillance case and their attorneys in all legal actions aimed at fully investigating the matter and establishing the truth before Greek and European courts; forwarding the decision to the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe and establishing a committee comprising prominent legal figures and individuals of recognized standing, tasked with publicly highlighting the case and seeking its reopening.
