Greece’s highest court convened Friday in a closed session to decide the fate of Alexandros Giotopoulos, the 82-year-old convicted ringleader of November 17, who was released in May after a decision by the Piraeus Court of Appeals council.
The Supreme Court’s Fifth Criminal Division is now examining a prosecutorial appeal seeking to overturn that decision. The session is being held behind closed doors, as required by law, under the chairmanship of Vice President Panagiotis Lymperopoulos.
Why the Supreme Court intervened
News of the release prompted an immediate response from the Supreme Court prosecutor’s office. A deputy prosecutor reviewed the Piraeus council’s ruling and filed for its annulment, on the grounds that it does not meet the legal conditions required for the release of a prisoner serving multiple consecutive life sentences. Specifically, the prosecution argued that Giotopoulos has not yet served the minimum portion of his sentence required under Greek law for cases involving multiple life terms.
The appeal also notes that the ruling lacks adequate substantive justification, with no demonstrable change in the circumstances that were previously assessed when earlier parole applications were rejected.
Reactions
Giotopoulos’s release sparked strong reactions. Among those who spoke publicly was former Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis, whose father, politician and journalist Pavlos Bakoyannis, was assassinated by November 17 members in September 1989. He questioned whether justice had truly been served, noting that a sentence of 17 life terms had translated, in practice, to roughly one and a half years served per victim.
The Supreme Court’s ruling, once issued, will determine whether Giotopoulos returns to custody or continues to live under the restrictive conditions currently in place.
Who is Alexandros Giotopoulos?
November 17, known in Greece as “17N,” was the country’s most notorious terrorist organization, active from 1975 until its dismantling in 2002. The group carried out a series of killings and attacks targeting Greek politicians, businessmen, police officers and foreign diplomats, including American, British and Turkish officials. Giotopoulos, French-educated and a founding member of the group, was arrested in the summer of 2002 on the small Dodecanese island of Lipsi. He was subsequently convicted as the mastermind of all of the organization’s criminal acts and sentenced to 17 life terms plus an additional 25 years in prison. He consistently denied all charges throughout the investigation and trial.
Giotopoulos had been held since 2002. His release on May 21 came after four previous parole applications had been rejected. The Piraeus court imposed restrictive conditions, including a travel ban, mandatory appearances at a local police station and compulsory residence in the east Athens district of Vyronas. Since 2022, he had been granted regular prison furlough, which authorities said he complied with.
