Alexandros Giotopoulos to spend night at GADA after release order overturned

Alexandros Giotopoulos will be held overnight at the Athens General Police Directorate (GADA) after a judicial decision overturned his release. He was transferred to GADA from Korydallos prison on the evening of June 15, following the Supreme Court's Fifth Criminal Chamber decision to accept the prosecutor's appeal. This appeal nullified the earlier council of judges' ruling that had granted his release.

Earlier on Monday, police authorities received the council of judges' decision mandating Giotopoulos's return to prison. Giotopoulos then left his home in Vyronas and surrendered at the Vyronas Police Department, accompanied by patrol cars. From there, he was transported in a police vehicle, still under escort, to Korydallos prison.

However, prison officials determined that the release order needed to be executed, leading to his transfer to GADA. He is scheduled to appear before the Piraeus appellate prosecutor on Tuesday morning to execute the decision before being returned to Korydallos prison. Giotopoulos, convicted of 17 life sentences for his involvement with the terrorist organization 17 November, had been released on May 21 based on a ruling from the Piraeus Council of Appeals.

The prosecutor's office had appealed this release, arguing that the necessary legal conditions for serving his sentence had not been met. The Supreme Court's decision effectively canceled the conditional release, requiring Giotopoulos to serve at least one additional year to complete the 25 years of actual imprisonment mandated by law.