The prosecutor’s closing argument on the guilt or innocence of the 21 defendants in the deadly Mati wildfire case was expected Thursday, March 12, marking a critical moment in the high-profile trial, but the court was adjourned after raucous reactions in the courtroom.
Nine months after proceedings began, the Mati case is now being heard at the appellate level, with the Association of Victims’ Relatives and Burn Survivors urging society to stand by them. Victims’ families and survivors have issued a public appeal for justice, demanding accountability for what they call an unjust and harrowing loss.
The prosecutor of the Athens Three-Member Court of Appeals was set to present recommendations on the criminal liability of 21 defendants facing charges related to the deaths of 104 people and the severe injuries of 27 others on Thursday. From the bench Prosecutor Stamatia Perimeni defended the legal framework governing the case, emphasizing that the law must be applied. She warned that upgrading the charges from misdemeanors to felonies could risk dismissal due to the statute of limitations. Addressing the victims’ families, she acknowledged their grief but stressed: “The court will instill a sense of security in citizens… but we cannot shift responsibility to someone who is not responsible.”
Her remarks on evacuation failures and legal responsibility sparked heated reactions in the courtroom, leading to the court’s adjournment for the day.
A Call for Justice
As the trial nears its conclusion, with only the lawyers’ arguments and the final verdict remaining, the association of victims’ families has urged public support. “The crime of July 23, 2018, will not be retried within the country’s judicial system as we know it today, even if an appeal is made to the Supreme Court. With this in mind, we call on all friends, victims, and fellow citizens with empathy and conscience to be present at the trial,” the association stated.
The 21 Defendants
Seated in the dock are 21 individuals, including former senior fire service officials, representatives of local government, the General Secretariat for Civil Protection, and the elderly man from whose yard the fire is believed to have started. The charges they face are misdemeanors, including negligent homicide, bodily harm, and arson.
First Trial Verdict – Six Convicted, Most Acquitted
In the initial trial, only six of the accused were found guilty, while the rest were acquitted. However, following an appeal, all defendants—both those convicted and those previously acquitted—are now being retried.
The original sentences ranged from three to five years but were subject to conversion into fines, a decision that sparked outrage among victims’ families, who viewed it as a step toward impunity for the devastating Mati disaster.
