Alexandros Giotopoulos, the leader of the notorious November 17 terrorist group, is being sent back to prison just two weeks after he was released.
Giotopoulos, who is serving seventeen life sentences plus an additional twenty-five years, was allowed to leave prison in late May after serving twenty-four years. However, Greece’s highest court (the Supreme Court) has blocked that decision.
Why is he going back?
The court dispute came down to a simple disagreement over how long he actually needs to serve. The lower court had used an older law to release him, arguing he had served enough time.
The Supreme Court, however, ruled that a newer 2021 law applies to his case. Under this new law, anyone serving multiple life sentences for major crimes must spend at least twenty-five years behind bars before they can even ask for release. Because he was released at twenty-four years, his release was deemed premature.
The Supreme Court thus canceled his release, and the original order keeping him in jail is back in effect, meaning he must return to his cell immediately. While a lower court will technically review his case once more, they are legally required to follow the Supreme Court’s ruling, ensuring he remains in prison until he meets the 25-year requirement.
US urged Greece to return him to prison
The United States had criticized the Greek court’s decision to release Giotopoulos. In a written statement, the US Department of State cited the group’s role in the murder of US officials and called on Greek authorities to pursue legal steps that would overturn the Piraeus Court of Appeals’ ruling and return Giotopoulos to prison.
According to reports, the US Embassy in Athens also conveyed Washington’s position to the Greek government through a demarche. The statement emphasizes that the terrorist organization assassinated American citizens, some of whom were important officials, including the CIA station chief.
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