A 22-year-old woman who was arrested last week on suspicion of being a member of the Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire urban guerrilla group was released from custody yesterday after mounting a vigorous defense.

It was revealed in court that Antigone Helioti-Hatzidimitriou was arrested after a candleholder at a house in Halandri, which allegedly served as a bomb-making factory for four other suspects that were arrested in September, was found to have the 22-year-old’s fingerprints on it.

However, Helioti-Hatzidimitriou’s lawyers pointed out that the candleholder had not been singled out and bagged as evidence during the sweep of the Halandri property and was therefore inadmissible as evidence. Lawyer Costas Papadakis likened the 22-year-old’s predicament to being accused of a murder when no body had been discovered.

Papadakis also objected to the way that his client was arrested. He explained to the judge that Helioti-Hatzidimitriou had been taken into custody in 2007 during some disturbances at a student rally. As a condition of her subsequent bail, she was required to appear at her local police station twice a month. Papadakis said that the police detected her fingerprint on the candlestick on October 4, after which Helioti-Hatzidimitriou went to a police precinct twice but was not asked to answer any questions.

There was further controversy after the hearing when the suspect was not released immediately, as is normal. Instead, members of the anti-terrorist squad took her back to police headquarters before releasing her, prompting scuffles between riot police and some 100 people who had come to support her at court.

Meanwhile, six of the nine people arrested following the protest march on November 17 were yesterday charged with attempted grievous bodily harm, causing damage and disturbing the peace.

The other three suspects are minors and will appear in juvenile court.