Witness ‘dedicated life’ to ELA
The estranged former wife of one of the five Revolutionary Popular Struggle (ELA) defendants, a key prosecution witness, yesterday told the Athens court trying the alleged extreme left-wing terrorists that she had no regrets over «dedicating» her life to the group. Sofia Kyriakidou, who escaped prosecution due to her cooperation with the authorities and the fact that her group membership falls outside the statute of limitations, reiterated that her ex-husband, Angeletos Kanas, was an active ELA member at least until 1993, when they separated. But she claimed that after 1998 Kanas «changed his convictions» to take up politics. At the time of his arrest over a year ago, Kanas was the elected mayor of Kimolos island, in the Cyclades. Kyriakidou said she had not approached the authorities with her crucial information until May 2002 – after a new anti-terrorism law was passed that protects informants – as she feared prosecution. She said she had dedicated her life to ELA, and had not repented. The suspects are charged with involvement in two assassinations and dozens of bombings.
