Dead teen’s mother seeks premier’s help
The mother of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos, who was shot dead in December 2008, yesterday sent a letter to Premier George Papandreou seeking his mediation to shift the trial of the policemen implicated in the shooting to Athens from Amfissa, 200 kilometers northwest of the capital. Originally scheduled for Athens, the trial was moved to Amfissa amid fears of a mass turnout by protesters. But Gina Tsakalian insists that holding the trial in Amfissa will make it difficult for witnesses to attend. She said her appeal to Papandreou was «a final attempt to ensure a fair trial for the murder as previous appeals have fallen by the wayside.» Tsakalian also wrote to Supreme Court prosecutor Yiannis Tentes, who in November rejected her appeal for the trial to be held in Athens. She claimed that the investigation into her son’s death was riddled with «omissions and errors.»
