Charges cut for N17 suspect
The same Athens prosecutor who, four months ago, charged the 20th November 17 suspect with involvement in 44 of the terrorist group’s attacks yesterday recommended that these charges should be dropped. However, appeals court prosecutor Alexandros Mytis urged the Council of Appeals Court Judges to indict graphics artist Costas Avramidis, 43, for membership of the extreme left-wing group between 1985 and his arrest in May 2003. This had been among the initial charges Mytis brought against Avramidis in July. Avramidis, who denies the charges, was released without bail two days after his arrest. Mytis based his new recommendation on the alleged fact that fingerprints belonging to Avramidis were found on a book discovered in one of the N17 safe houses. Nineteen N17 suspects were arrested between June 2002 and January 2003. Fifteen were convicted of group membership and participation in a series of terrorist acts. N17 killed 23 people between 1975 and 2000.
