Mati damages trial will await lifting of MP’s immunity
An Athens court on Monday postponed the hearing of a compensation appeal lodged by 11 people who sustained serious burns in the deadly 2018 wildfire in Mati, East Attica.
The trial was put off until October 30, pending the lifting of immunity from prosecution of SYRIZA lawmaker Rena Dourou, who was the regional governor of Attica at the time of the blaze and is one of the key defendants in the hearing.
Monday’s trial was based on case files compiled when it became apparent that the 11 victims had slipped through the cracks in the main trial over the Mati fire, which centered on the 104 lives claimed by the blaze.
As in the case of that trial, 21 officials are expected to be called to answer for the state’s delayed response when the court convenes again in the fall.
Dourou, who was elected to Parliament on June 25, has waived her right to immunity and asked the House to expedite procedures. MPs are due to debate the issue on Tuesday.
