Terrorism trial adjourned again
The trial of the suspected members of the Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire urban guerrilla group was adjourned until Thursday after it ran into more legal problems on Tuesday.
Monday?s session had ended in farce when the nine suspects standing trial (four are being tried in absentia) fired their lawyers, police were involved in skirmishes with people in the public gallery and guards feared some of the accused were attempting to escape.
Tuesday?s session proved less eventful but only added to the confusion surrounding the trial of the suspected members of the group, which carried out a string of bloodless bomb attacks against politicians and public buildings.
Only four of the defendants? 18 court-appointed lawyers appeared before the judge. They informed her they could not take on the case because their clients did not acknowledge them as their legal counsel.
The six accused being held in custody refused to attend the session, while the three defendants who did ? Manolis Yiospas, Nikos Vogiatzakis and Errikos Rallis, said they also rejected their court-appointed lawyers.
The three defendants, who are out on bail, along with the some of the suspects? parents asked the judge to delay the trial for a few days so they could speak to the other six.
The judge, however, decided that the trial should resume on Thursday. She asked for the prosecutor?s office and the Athens Bar Association to look into why a number of court-appointed lawyers have refused to take on the case.
