Clashes broke out early in the morning outside the courthouse shortly before the start of the appeal trial for the murder of Alkis Kampanos.

Fans threw chairs and other objects at a group gathered on the courthouse steps — likely supporters of a rival club — shortly before the defendants arrived.

Police forces on site intervened using tear gas.

Commenting on the incidents, Alkis’ father described those who participated in them, even outside the courthouse, as “brainless”.

It is recalled that 19-year-old Alkis was the victim of blind fan violence on February 1, 2022, in the Harilaou district.

Today, at the Mixed Jury Court of Appeals of Thessaloniki, the twelve young PAOK supporters will sit in the dock again, who after the original verdict had returned to prison. Seven of them were sentenced to life imprisonment plus many additional years as co-perpetrators of homicide with possible intent and the other five to temporary prison sentences as simple accomplices in the same act.

For most of them, however, an appeal against the conviction was filed by the head of the Thessaloniki Prosecutor’s Office of Appeals, Nikos Kallidis, seeking heavier sentences. Specifically, considering the decision wrong regarding the conversion of the charge to homicide with possible intent, the senior prosecutor ruled that the defendants should have been convicted for homicide with direct intent, as was the original indictment.

Furthermore, for three of them he considered that they should not have been convicted as accomplices, but one as the moral instigator of homicide with direct intent and the other two as co-perpetrators of the same homicide with direct intent. The appeal does not “touch” two of the defendants and in practice only for them does the principle of non-worsening of their position apply.

As a result, the defendants will be tried in the Court of Appeals from zero base — that is, again for homicide with intent — while three who were convicted as accomplices will be tried with one as moral instigator and two as direct perpetrators.

Besides the part that concerns the murder of the 19-year-old Alkis Kampanos, the indictment also includes the acts connected with the attack against his two friends during the same bloody incident.