Another murder allegedly committed by convict released through controversial bill

Legislation rammed through Parliament by ex-SYRIZA minister Paraskevopoulos blamed for freeing another murder suspect

Georgian national Roberto Sohakian, the suspect arrested immediately after the shooting death of a Thessaloniki jewelry shop owner this week, was recently released from prison under the so-called “Paraskevopoulos Law”, named after the SYRIZA justice minister whose signature graces the legislation.

Sohakian, 38, took advantage of the favorable conditions found in the recently passed law, one of the few pieces of legislation passed during SYRIZA’s seven months in power, and exited a prison’s gates in early August.

He allegedly shot dead a 27-year-old store owner in the Neapolis district of Thessaloniki on Tuesday.

The Georgian man had been incarcerated for a series of theft and drug convictions.

The latest deadly robbery attempt comes weeks after a Hydra island restaurant owner was murdered in his home. Several Georgian men were arrested in that case, with at least two also having employed the “Paraskevopoulos Law” to gain their “Get Out of Jail” card.

Critics have repeatedly charged that the SYRIZA-era law, which aims to alleviate prison overcrowding and release inmates with serious health problems, ignores the individual characteristics of each inmate and relies only on a qualitative approach.

One of the more notorious “candidates” for prison release was convicted N17 assassin Savvas Xiros, before the latter supposedly declared that he was unwilling to wear an ankle monitor and remain under house arrest.