An 82-year-old man, Alexandros Giotopoulos, who was serving 17 life sentences for leading a far-left Greek militant group, has been released from prison. His release has sparked objections from the relatives of his group’s victims.
On Friday, Greek television showed Giotopoulos walking through a central Athens neighborhood, carrying a plastic shopping bag. He was freed on Thursday evening. According to his lawyer, his release was due to his advanced age among other factors.
In 2003, a court determined that Giotopoulos was the mastermind behind November 17, a militant group active in Greece from 1975 to 2002. This group was responsible for bombings, assassinations, and robberies. These actions financed their operations.
Some of the victims included industrialists, politicians, and international officials. One notable victim was Richard Welch, a C.I.A. station chief in Athens, killed in 1975. Giotopoulos has always denied leading the group or being involved in the murders.
“After 24 years of imprisonment, I am still awaiting an answer to the crucial question: ‘In what place did my moral instigation take place?’” he remarked in a statement to Documento, a left-leaning newspaper, following his release. “When did it happen? What was the weather like? Who was present? And what specific words were used to persuade the physical perpetrators?”
In Greece, individuals sentenced to multiple concurrent life terms generally are released after about 25 years. Giotopoulos filed several petitions for release. A judicial panel eventually agreed, citing his age, declining health, and good behavior in prison, where he completed postgraduate studies, his lawyer Vasiliki Kamilari explained on Greek television.