Alexandros Giotopoulos, who was convicted as the leader of Greece’s November 17 (17N) militant organization, was taken back into custody on Tuesday after the Supreme Court overturned the decision that had allowed his release from prison.
Giotopoulos was transferred to the Prosecutor’s Office of Appeals Court of Piraeus after spending the night at the Athens Police Headquarters (GADA), following a complicated series of events surrounding his return to prison.
He left GADA shortly before 7:50 a.m. wearing handcuffs and was escorted by police as authorities completed the procedures for his return to Korydallos Prison, just three weeks after he had been released under restrictive conditions.
Supreme Court cancels release decision
The reversal came after the Supreme Court’s Fifth Criminal Division accepted an appeal filed by the prosecutor, cancelling the previous release ruling issued by the Appeals Council of Piraeus.
The Supreme Court found that the earlier decision had incorrectly applied the legal framework governing conditional releases for prisoners serving multiple life sentences.
The key issue was Law 4855/2021, which states that prisoners serving multiple life sentences may be released on parole only after completing at least 25 years of actual imprisonment.
According to the court’s reasoning, Giotopoulos had served 24 years since his imprisonment in 2002, meaning he had not yet reached the required period for release.
The previous ruling had relied on an earlier legal framework requiring 19 years of imprisonment, while also taking into account factors including his conduct during incarceration, compliance with prison leave rules and the fact that he earned a doctorate while in prison.
Confusion over return to prison
Giotopoulos had been released on May 21 and had been living under restrictive conditions at his home in the Athens suburb of Vyronas.
Police forces, including officers from the Special Crime Prevention Unit (OPKE), arrived at his residence after the Supreme Court decision. He left carrying a large travel bag and, without making statements to journalists, initially entered a taxi with his lawyer before being transferred to a police vehicle.
However, his return to Korydallos Prison was delayed after prison authorities reportedly refused to accept him because the required detention document had not yet been issued.
Following discussions between prosecutors, authorities decided to transfer him to GADA, where he spent the night before being taken to the Prosecutor’s Office of Piraeus.
Background of the 17N case
Giotopoulos was convicted as the ideological and operational leader of the November 17 organization, one of Greece’s most notorious armed groups.
Born in Paris in 1944, he later became linked to militant political groups during the 1970s. For years, he lived under the alias “Michalis Oikonomou,” maintaining a hidden identity between Athens and the island of Lipsi.
November 17 was linked to 23 murders involving politicians, diplomats and business figures over a period of about 25 years.
Giotopoulos was arrested in July 2002 on the island of Lipsi. Evidence presented during the investigation included fingerprints found at a safe house in Athens and handwriting samples from organizational statements.
During the major trial in 2003, he denied the charges, but the court convicted him and identified him as the organization’s leader.
Following the Supreme Court decision, the previous release ruling has been annulled and the original rejection of his release request has been restored.
The case is expected to return to the Appeals Council of Piraeus with a new judicial composition. However, the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the legal issues is binding for lower courts.
