Protests grow over N17 terms
Synaspismos Left Coalition and the Athens Bar Association yesterday joined with human rights groups in demanding better detention conditions for the 15 convicted November 17 terrorists. The extreme left-wing militants are being held in solitary confinement in a special section of the top-security Athens Korydallos Prison, and denied contact with other prisoners. A small exercise yard at their disposal is fenced over with metal bars. Five N17 members are on hunger strike over their holding conditions, with executioner Dimitris Koufodinas, 46 – a beekeeper – now in critical condition. Synaspismos’s youth wing called the N17 detention conditions «unacceptable,» and accused the government of «developing a legal ideology of revenge.» The Athens Bar Association issued a statement arguing that the same conditions should apply to all convicts, and urged the government to remove the «cage» over the terrorists’ yard. Human rights groups will stage a protest march at 6 p.m. today in central Athens.
