By Elena Galaris

The 31-year-old defendant was remanded in custody after he pleaded guilty to participating in a terrorist organization, as a fingerprint was found on a mobile object in the apartment in Ampelokipi where the explosion took place.

The defendant, who apologized with a memorandum, denied that he has any relationship with his co-accused and that his only involvement in the case is the fingerprint found on a mobile object that is not connected to any other finding in the case file.

“I vehemently deny any accusation against me. I have no relationship with my co-accused, they were never people I had even socialized with and I have not participated in any of the acts attributed to me.
Both the facts of this case as well as my character and the circumstances of my life certify beyond any doubt that I will also appear in court and in the execution of any decision I will be submitted to. I have absolutely no reason not to appear in the audience, since only by my presence there will I succeed in proving my innocence. My goal and primary concern throughout the development of this case was and is the proof of the truth and therefore of my innocence.”

The defendant asked the interrogator not to remand him because this is “the last procedural measure, after the evaluation of all the restrictive conditions provided for has been exhausted”, assuring the judicial officer that he will appear in court.

“Absolutely no measure of procedural coercion against me is required to be taken in order to make it certain that I will appear in court. In any case, the imposition of restrictive conditions instead of temporary detention is fully sufficient. I have been tested with electronic surveillance in the past, when I was a prisoner and I attended my classes at the TEI and I never created the slightest problem or even a suspicion that I could take any illegal action in violation of the conditions. At the same time, as you know very well and as many representatives of the police state publicly, both I and people who have employed the authorities in the past are in a constant state of surveillance. There is no way I would commit any criminal act.”

The defendant stated that he finished school in 2013, after his imprisonment and participated in the Panhellenic exams, where he succeeded in being admitted to the TEI of Athens, and that he has six courses left to finish it.

“I was released from prison in 2019 having served the terms provided for by law and received a tax exemption by appearing in person at the Psychiko Police Department where my permanent residence was also, twice a month. From the first moment I have strictly adhered to the conditions and I am providing you with a certificate from the Psychiko Police Department for his recovery. At the same time, I decided to work immediately and found a job in a cellar, as a warehouse assistant, but due to the quarantine that was imposed as a measure in March 2020, I stopped. Even today, I still maintain contacts with the owner, whose responsible statement I am handling, and we are even discussing working together again, with my placement in an administrative position.”