Executives sentenced over 2022 Attiki Odos traffic gridlock

An Athens court has handed down a ten-month suspended prison sentence to three executives from the company "Attikes Diadromes" for their involvement in the widespread traffic gridlock on Attiki Odos in January 2022. Thousands of drivers were stranded for hours during severe weather conditions, leading to public outcry and subsequent legal action.

The court convicted the three individuals on charges of disrupting transport safety, classifying it as a misdemeanor. While acknowledging their prior lawful conduct as a mitigating factor, the court rejected their plea for leniency based on sincere remorse. The defense had argued that offering 2,000 euros to each stranded driver demonstrated an attempt to rectify the situation, but the prosecutor countered that the company was compelled by the Ministry to take action, rather than acting on its own initiative.

In contrast, other defendants, including two from "Attikes Diadromes" and three from another company, were acquitted. The court's decision to acquit these individuals suggests a distinction in their level of responsibility or involvement in the events that led to the gridlock.

Furthermore, the court has decided to forward the trial proceedings to the Athens First Instance Prosecutor's Office. This action is intended to facilitate an investigation into potential criminal offenses committed by the then-Director of Attica Traffic Police and the then-Commander of the Traffic Police responsible for Attiki Odos. This move indicates a broader inquiry into the handling of the crisis beyond the company executives.

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the company was compelled by the Ministry to proceed with the specific action and did not do so at its own initiative.