The Athens Council has decided, through a judicial decree, to refer more than 140 organized Olympiacos fans to trial for criminal organization, which includes the murder of police officer Giorgos Lyggeridis on December 7, 2023, outside the “Melina Mercouri” indoor gymnasium.

Additionally, Olympiacos FC president Evangelos Marinakis and four of his close associates in the club’s leadership are also being referred to trial for supporting and financing the criminal organization, as well as inciting sports-related violence (both misdemeanors).

Specifically, apart from Marinakis, those referred for trial on these charges include:

• Michalis Kountouris, vice president of Olympiacos FC and president of the Olympiacos Fan Club of Piraeus
• Giannis Moralis, first vice president of Olympiacos FC and mayor of Piraeus
• Dimitris Agrafiotis and Konstantinos Karapapas, third and fourth vice presidents of Olympiacos FC

Evangelos Marinakis’ Fierce Attack on the Prime Minister and the Judiciary

Following the judicial decree, Marinakis issued a statement on Olympiacos’ official website, accusing the government and judiciary of orchestrating a politically motivated attack against him:

“In a state of panic, the Prime Minister, along with media outlets scandalously favored and controlled by the Mitsotakis system, are attempting to blackmail and hold me hostage, weaponizing the judiciary once again.

This is a coordinated effort to silence me, but it is a desperate one. It is not the first time such an attempt has been made. Political and economic interests have tried in the past with fabricated cases and charges that collapsed spectacularly. The evidence is overwhelming and shows that the real victim here is Justice itself and its institutions.

The obvious target is me and Olympiacos. But the real goal is to attack press freedom, media independence, and ultimately, democracy itself—values that are non-negotiable for Alter Ego Media, a company listed on the Athens Stock Exchange.

Criticism and oversight of power, the primary role of the press, the exposure of scandals and corruption at the top of the current government—these are things that Maximos Mansion cannot tolerate.

I walk a different path from the government’s mouthpieces, and I will persist, no matter the cost. I choose to follow the words of Nikos Kazantzakis: ‘Speak the truth, no matter what happens! Never stoop to lying. Those who lie are slaves. A free person always tells the truth.’

I fully understand how much my stance bothers a Prime Minister and a government that, feeling they are losing power and public legitimacy, are slipping into an increasingly totalitarian state.

I will not be an accomplice. I will stand against the government’s actions that have placed Greece at the bottom of the EU’s Press Freedom Index and shaken public trust in the judiciary. It is no coincidence that many believe the government has undermined judicial independence in multiple cases, from illegal wiretaps to the Tempi train disaster—handling the latter with complete disregard for the victims and their families. This is happening in a country that ranks second to last in the EU in per capita GDP.

My message is clear: I am not afraid, I will not be blackmailed, I will not negotiate, I will not retreat, I will not submit. The truth will prevail. Democracy will triumph. In the end, we will be victorious—just as we always have been.”