Savvas Xeros, brother of escaped convict, transferred from prison to hospital amid tight security
Police on Tuesday ramped up security for the transfer of convicted November 17 terrorist Savvas Xeros from Korydallos Prison near the Greek capital to Larissa University Hospital in central Greece, after his brother, Christodoulos Xeros, also a convicted member of the urban guerrilla group, violated the terms of his furlough and was considered to be at large.
Savvas Xeros was admitted to the hospital at 11 a.m. on Tuesday on the orders of a prosecutor who approved his petition to undergo medical treatment for multiple sclerosis. Heightened security measures were implemented at the hospital, with Savvas Xeros being assigned a permanent guard over the course of this treatment.
Earlier in the day, his brother Christodoulos was declared to be at large after failing to report to his local precinct in Halkidiki, northern Greece, on Monday during a nine-day leave. A manhunt is under way.
Savvas Xeros is serving five consecutive life sentences plus an additional 25 years for taking part in five assassinations and robberies, among other criminal activities.
Christodoulos Xeros is also serving six consecutive life sentences with an additional 25 years for his involvement in six murders, bombings and robberies as a member of the November 17 terrorist group.
A third brother, Vassilis Xeros, also involved in November 17, was released from prison in 2011 after serving two-fifths of his 25-year sentence.
