In an unprecedented move, reminiscent of totalitarian regimes, Greek police in the Giannista precinct of central Macedonia, proceeded to take 16 citizens into custody on Sunday without any formal charges as a precautionary measure for fear of protests against SYRIZA Minister of Shipping and Island Police Fotis Kouvelis, among other SYRIZA MPs and officials who are visiting the city on occasion of an event commemorating the a historic figure of the left Ourania Nizamidou.

Police feared the citizens could voice their protests to the Minister and SYRIZA MPs Theodora Tzakri and Ioannis Sifakis about the Prespa Agreement and took the Greek citizens into custody with no due process or any formal charges laid against them.

The citizens arrested said they were taken to the police station by officers dressed in normal clothes and detained under police surveillance for more than 2.5 hours at the Giannitsa police station.
In a subsequent lawsuit aimed at all the responsible parties involved in their detention, 11 out of 16 people said they were unduly and unlawfully taken into custody for no reason.