By order of Supreme Court Prosecutor Konstantinos Tzavellas, the possibility of filing an appeal against the ruling of the Piraeus Court of Appeals Judicial Council regarding the release of Alexandros Giotopoulos — who had been sentenced to 17 life terms for the criminal activities of the 17 November terrorist organization — will be studied.

Mr. Tzavellas is awaiting a copy of the ruling and has already assigned Deputy Supreme Court Prosecutor Sofoklis Logothetis to examine it. The ruling is expected to be transmitted soon to the Supreme Court Prosecutor’s Office.

However, under a law passed recently, inmates serving multiple life sentences may be released after 25 years of actual imprisonment. This means Giotopoulos would normally have been released in about a year.

The release of Alexandros Giotopoulos after 24 years in prison was his fifth attempt, following previous negative recommendations by the first-instance prosecutor, the first-instance judicial council, and the prosecutor who submitted a recommendation to the Court of Appeals Judicial Council.

Alexandros Giotopoulos was arrested in 2002, when the dismantling of the 17N terrorist organization began, and remained imprisoned ever since. He never expressed remorse for his actions nor accepted that he was the moral instigator behind the organization’s brutal murders for which he was convicted.

Following Giotopoulos’ release, those still imprisoned after receiving multiple life sentences are Dimitris Koufontinas and brothers Savvas and Christodoulos Xiros.

How Giotopoulos was released from prison

Sentenced to 17 life terms plus an additional 25 years imprisonment as the moral instigator behind all criminal actions of “17 November,” yet now free after only a few hours outside prison. The reference is to Alexandros Giotopoulos, who was released yesterday by decision of the Piraeus Court of Appeals Judicial Council after a full 24 years behind bars.

According to prosecuting authorities, he was the absolute leader of the terrorist organization, the “mastermind” behind its operations from its founding until July 17, 2002, when he was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Service on the island of Lipsi under the alias “Michalis Oikonomou.”

Yesterday, however, the prison gates opened for the 82-year-old Alexandros Giotopoulos — also known as “Lambros” within the organization, according to authorities. His fifth request for release was accepted by the Piraeus Court of Appeals Judicial Council. Judges decided to release him under restrictive conditions requiring residence at his declared address, a ban on leaving the country, and mandatory appearances at his local police station in Vyronas, Attica.

It is noteworthy that the competent prosecutor had reportedly recommended rejecting “Lambros’” request for release. However, the members of the Judicial Council reached a different conclusion and gave the “green light” for his release.

Alexandros Giotopoulos had initially appealed to the Misdemeanors Judicial Council, which rejected his request. The 82-year-old convicted man then appealed to the Court of Appeals Judicial Council, ultimately securing his “ticket” out of prison.

Life in prison and academic studies

According to reports, Giotopoulos’ advanced age played a decisive role in the decision to release him, along with the fact that he had served almost the maximum actual prison term allowed under the laws governing sentence execution, which legal experts speaking to protothema.gr note is 25 years.

According to the same information, judges also considered his overall behavior during detention, as he had committed no disciplinary offenses. On the contrary, the so-called “Lambros” of “17N” reportedly devoted himself to study and academic work, earning a postgraduate degree and doctorate in mathematics through studies at a French university during his imprisonment.

It was also reportedly viewed positively that, beginning in 2022 — after two decades of incarceration — he had been granted regular prison leave permits, all of which he complied with without incident.

Following the release of Alexandros Giotopoulos, those still imprisoned for crimes related to “17N” include Dimitris Koufontinas, sentenced to 11 life terms and 25 years imprisonment, as well as brothers Savvas and Christodoulos Xiros, serving five and six life terms respectively, along with an additional 25 years imprisonment.

Alexandros Giotopoulos, however, is considered the most heavily sentenced prisoner in the “17N” case. On appeal, he was sentenced to 17 life terms and 25 years imprisonment. At first instance, his sentence had been even harsher: 21 life terms and 25 years imprisonment.

His appellate conviction concerned moral instigation in 17 murders, including those of Nikos Momferatos, publisher of the newspaper “Apogevmatini,” and his driver Panagiotis Rousetis in 1985; Nikos Angelopoulos of “Halyvourgiki” in 1986; businessman Alexandros Athanasiadis Bodossakis in 1988; New Democracy MP Pavlos Bakoyannis in 1989; shipowner Kostis Peratikos in 1997; British Brigadier Stephen Saunders in 2000; and many others.

However, to this day, Alexandros Giotopoulos — as he did from the moment of his arrest — categorically denies any involvement with “17N” and rejects being described as the organization’s leader. During his testimony before the appeals court, he reiterated that he had no connection to its activities, speaking of a “conspiracy” against him.

In fact, criticizing the judicial proceedings, he had stated: “Just as the first-instance court blatantly ignored all my arguments with which I refuted the accusations against me and ruled as though I had remained silent, your appellate court will do the same.”

He also made clear that he did not intend to repeat his claims or answer the accusations, saying characteristically: “Since you too will ignore whatever I say, I will not refute what they accuse me of, nor answer any question.”