Police officer charged with killing Greek teen in 2008 set free by courts

Riots in Thessaloniki - Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Despite being witnessed by dozens of people in the neighbourhood and part of it captured on video Greek courts were unable to convict police officer, Epameintas Korkoneas who on December 6th shot and killed 15 year old Alexis Grigoropoulos in Exarchia, Athens. As 18 months had elapsed since the officer's arrest the court was obliged to set him free.

The death sparked off riots that lasted nearly a month and cost the country billions in damages as outraged Greeks repeatedly clashed with police across the country and produced the worst civil unrest in a generation. The ferocity of the response was, in part fuelled by the conviction that the police officer would not be punished.

UPDATE

It seems that the officer has been released but the trial is set to continue. The 18 month limit was how long somebody could be held pre-trial before the courts were obliged to release them. Thanks to blogger Lollipop for putting me right on this.

"Remember, remember 6th December"

"Remember, remember 6th December", originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

With the first anniversary of the killing of Alexandros Grigoropoulos by a police officer last year in Athens the scene looks set for a repeat of last year's violent protests which engulfed most of Greece.

In the run up to 6th December there have been a number of bombings and attacks on both the offices of the ruling PASOK party and and anti - authoritarian communes in Thessaloniki and Athens.

Nor do the police seems to have learnt the lessons of December 2008. Only last week a 35 year old Armenian woman was beaten in front of her two year old child by two plain clothes officers who accused her of insulting them. The fact that she was pushing a pram laden with shopping was not enough to deter them from handcuffing her, kicking her whilst she lay on the ground then taking her to a police station where she was held for six hours.