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Anti terrorists are afraid of a new attack of the "fiery cores"

29 January 2011 / 13:01:11  GRReporter
3768 reads

Anastasia Balezdrova

 

Today the captured two days ago Michalis Nikolopoulos appeared before an investigating judge, magistrate accused of participating in the terrorist organization "Conspiracy of fiery cores". Sources from the court said that he refused to speak and said he did not recognize the procedure after which he was sent to the remand center.

According to some information the questions of the investigating judge were associated with the parcel bombs that were sent by members of the organization in early November.

Michalis Nikolopoulos is one of the defendants in the trial, which began on January 17th in the women's prison in Korydallos against 13 youths for their participation in the organization "Conspiracy of fiery cores".

At the time of his arrest police found with him a gun type Glock, two cartridges, one hand grenade, a penl with an embedded camera, a wallet with the sign of the police, keys and a cell phone.

Shortly after the capturing of the young man police said it is conducting an investigation into a house in the capital district of Nea Chalcedona. One of the keys found showed later that the 23-year-old Michalis Nikolopoulos lived there.

Although according to some information in the house were not found weapons, explosives or other artifacts related to the activities of "Conspiracy of the fiery core" police investigation continues.

Members of the Terrorism Control Service believe that the house in Nea Chalcedon was rented by people who have contact with the group immediately after leaving the previous hide away in the Athens suburb of Halandri, where there were valuable finds. A 32-year-old man pretending to be a fitness instructor rented the house and signed the contract for a three years period.

Meanwhile, police is looking for information about the person who was with Michalis Nikolopoulos until the moment of his capture. Antiterrorists do not exclude the possibility that this was the man who rented the house and they even suppose that perhaps he is one of the other three people wanted for their participation in the terrorist organization.

Against them and the captured Michalis Nikolopoulos were issued arrest warrants in connection with the parcel bombs that were sent on 1 November 2010 to foreign embassies in Athens, but also public buildings in Italy, Germany, France and the Netherlands.

The efforts of the police are concentrated in the capture of the other members of the group because of fears of new terrorist attack in the coming days. The terrorism control service is looking for at least one more apartment where they believe that members of the organization are hiding weapons and explosives which they have used during their last actions.

In Korydallos the trial against the 13 people accused of involvement in the "Conspiracy of the fiery core" has been suspended once again. Defendants did not appear in the courtroom as they continued to protest against the court's decision not to make recordings of the sessions and to continue the practice of holding the identity cards of people who want to attend.

Yesterday appeared only half of the appointed by the judicial council advocates of defendants who are conducting a hunger strike. One after another they refused to undertake the defense of the young people by referring to official duties, family leave and health problems. Those who were absent sent letters with a similar content.

The defendants also sent a letter informing that they will not attend the trial until their demands are met.

Shortly before the court suspended once again the session which had just begun so as to appoint new official solicitors, those who quit went out of the courtroom. One of the mothers of the defendants began to clap, and approached them with the words: "Thank you very much. You fulfilled your duty to people who just want for their constitutional rights to be met".

The Judicial Council withdrew and when the president returned she announced the names of the third consecutive officially appointed lawyers, and then postponed the the trial for Monday. Then the father one of the defendants asked to speak, and although he wasn’t given the right to do so he managed to ask Judge Varela "if any citizen of this country has the right to pre-empt the outcome of the case".

The head of the judicial council, who refused to enter into dialogue with him still replied "of course not". Then the father informed her that this was done in the speech on television of an MP from the extreme-right party LAOS. The answer he received was that this does not affect in any way the court and its decision.

A little later it was announced that the court has decreed for the record of the case be submitted to the prosecution and the Athens Bar Association in order to drive the criminal and disciplinary proceedings against lawyers who declined their appointments.

Tags: crime news terrorism trial official solicitors defendants parcel-bombs
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