One of the convicted members of the November 17 terrorist group, Savvas Xeros, will continue to serve his six life terms in Korydallos Prison despite claims that poor conditions in the jail are endangering his health, a Piraeus court ruled yesterday.

Xeros, 44, had asked for his sentence to be suspended for five months so he could receive urgent medical treatment at the hospital. Xeros claims he has suffered sight and hearing problems since a botched June 2002 explosion.

He told the court that his eyesight has deteriorated severely as prison doctors cannot treat the problem.

Sympathizers took over the grounds of Athens University on Thursday night in a bid to attract publicity to Xeros’s appeal.

Judges, however, decided that conditions in Korydallos were not contributing to the prisoner’s ill health and that he did not need to be hospitalized. Judges rejected a similar appeal last year.

Some 200 people who have locked down the university were due to decide late last night whether to continue their protest in the wake of the court’s decision.