Justice minister regrets recent comments on Xeros
Justice Minister Nikos Paraskevopoulos on Wednesday described as “unfortunate” and “excessive” a previous comment in which he suggested that the state was largely responsible for November 17 terrorist Savvas Xeros losing his eyesight.
Paraskevopoulos said he was referring to a European Court of Human Rights decision in 2010 that warned Greece was providing inadequate care to Xeros, whose eyesight was damaged in 2002 when a bomb exploded as he was planting it.
Paraskevopoulos added that a recent bill proposing the early release of seriously disabled prisoners, such as Xeros, would not mean they would be let out immediately as medical officials and a council of appeals court judges would have to approve the release.
Paraskevopoulos said he would consider a proposal by coalition partner Independent Greeks to electronically tag anyone benefiting from early release.
