Former judge Evangelos Kaloussis yesterday took his case to the European Court of Justice, claiming 3 million euros in damages from the Greek state after receiving a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence last week for accepting bribes.

In his lawsuit, Kaloussis claims he is being detained “illegally” and alleges that the judges who have been handling his case gave in to the “expediency of the moment and a journalistic dictatorship.”

Kaloussis says his life has been “totally destroyed” and is demanding 3 million euros to cover the wages and pension he can no longer receive.

The former judge is still awaiting trial on charges of sexual exploitation and money laundering. Kaloussis has been in custody since last year after being the first judge to be linked to an alleged trial-fixing ring.