ELA trial adjourned for a week
The dragging Revolutionary Popular Struggle (ELA) terrorism trial suffered yet another delay yesterday, after judges postponed the proceedings for a week to allow a newly appointed defense lawyer to acquaint himself with the case. Two lawyers representing Irini Athanassaki, one of the five defendants, stormed out on Thursday in protest at the court’s acceptance as evidence documents ostensibly taken from the former East German secret service files. Dimitris Tsovolas and Katerina Iatropoulou claimed the documents – which did not incriminate their client – were forgeries. Yesterday, one of the two lawyers appointed by the court to defend Athanassaki refused to do so, arguing that she had declined his services. The court decided to seek his prosecution. The second lawyer accepted his appointment – despite Athanassaki’s objections – and the court decided to adjourn for a week to let him read up on the case. The trial opened on February 9, but has made little progress. The suspects are charged with involvement in two assassinations and dozens of bomb attacks.
