An antiterrorism court in athens today convicted the leader of the november 17 terrorist cell and several followers on charges. The crazy world of the conspiracy of fire nuclei slackbastard. Subscribe place ad buy trib photos readers choice contests. Terrorists can seek early release under contentious new. Jun 20, 2009 but there was still an important leader at large. A 58yearold professor and translator, alexandros giotopoulos, was identified as the group leader and was arrested on july 17 on the island of lipsi. On september 5, dimitris koufodinas identified as the groups chief of operationssurrendered to the authorities. Unlike alexandros giotopoulos, the groups chief ideologue who denied any involvement in. Unlike alexandros giotopoulos, the groups chief ideologue who denied any involvement in 17n, koufodinas took responsibility for the entire 17n experience and sought to defend. Us expresses fears dimitris koufodinas of november 17 leftist group, who is serving 11 life sentences for murder, could abscond helena smith in athens fri 10 nov 2017 10. Alexandros giotopoulos was an opponent of the greek military junta of 19671974. Jul 20, 2002 mr xyros identified mr giotopoulos as the godfather of november 17.
Giotopoulos is moreorless identified in the voluminous indictment as a n17 cofounder and mastermind, codenamed lambros. Among the others convicted was the main hit man, dimitris koufodinas, who is linked to most of the groups 23 slayings. Dec 08, 2003 for the murder of industrialist dimitris angelopoulos in 1986, convicted are. Then the police began looking for him, and he hid for. Alexandros giotopoulos considered the november 17 ringleader and dimitris koufodinas, believed to be the groups key hitman, were found guilty last. Dimitris koufodinas, the groups chief of operations and chief assassin in the. Dimitris paterakis, fanis mourtos, georgios delimosis, giannis angelakis, giorgos aggelogianakis. The greek authorities were leaving nothing to chance as they closed in on the founder of the terrorist group november 17. He also identified dimitris koufodinas, allegedly the groups deputy leader, who is still at large and directed police to.
A force of 700 was deployed to apprehend alexandros giotopoulos, 58, at his holiday villa on the dodecanese island of lipsi, which has a population of just 600. But dimitris koufodinas, 45, koufodinas the last major suspect sought in connection with the organisation that has killed 23 people since 1975. After the filing of the bill in the house of the ministry of justice, which satisfies our basic demands, i interrupt the 2 march hunger strike. The arrest of parisborn intellectual alexandros giotopoulos, the groups alleged ideological leader, led in rapidfire succession to five other arrests, including those of. He is the son of dimitris giotopoulos, once a secretary of leon trotsky, also known as witte, who was a leader of the greek trotskyist party of archeiomarxists. We use cookies to offer you a better experience, personalize content, tailor advertising, provide social media features, and better understand the use of our services. It also sentenced dimitris koufodinas 45, the hit man, to life terms and 25 years. Tselentis first met dimitris koufodinas in 1982 during an athens university general assembly. After 27 years of secrecy and murder, november 17 is.
A force of 700 was deployed to apprehend alexandros giotopoulos, 58, at. November 17 terrorist group mastermind alexandros giotopoulos and top hitman dimitris koufodinas, as well as savvas xiros, christodoulos xiros, vassilis tzortzatos and iraklis kostaris are facing life sentences, after being convicted monday by the threemember criminal court trying 19 suspected 17n suspects. Within 2 months, 19 suspected members of the group had been arrested, including giotopoulos, the groups leader, and dimitris koufodinas, the groups leader of operations see kassimeris, 2005. Jul 22, 2002 the arrest of parisborn intellectual alexandros giotopoulos, the groups alleged ideological leader, led in rapidfire succession to five other arrests, including those of three men who confessed. Alexandros giotopoulos, the mastermind of the organisation. Among those found guilty are the groups ringleader, alexandros giotopoulos, and chief hit man, dimitris koufodinas. Although some groups are included for historical perspective, the vast majority are active in some form today. Giotopoulos would select the victims, and koufodinas would arrange the attacks. Koufodinas at the time was, according to tselentis, heavily involved in university activism, coordinating delegations, organizing petitions and leafleting, protest marches, and public meetings. Among the other 14 men convicted were several key figures including the main assassin, 45yearold dimitris koufodinas, who is linked to most of the groups slayings and was known.
Dimitris koufodinas and the revolutionary organization 17 november. The 17 november organization 17n or n17 was founded in 1975 as a marxistleninist organization on the belief that a communist revolution in greece was imminent. Well see greece convicted several members of the notorious november 17 communist terrorist group, 15 to be exact the 15 were responsible for over 2500 crimes the greek government tried 19 members fou. In all, nineteen individuals were charged with some 2,500 offences relating to november 17s activities. Others convicted included the groupa s hit man, dimitris koufodinas. Four defendants, including the lone woman, were acquitted. These new groups are from a younger generation and they think they are in an action movie. A force of 700 was deployed to apprehend alexandros giotopoulos, 58. Revolutionary organization 17 november project gutenberg. Alexandros giotopoulos is a convicted terrorist, currently serving seventeen life sentences plus. November 17 was blamed for dozens of armed robberies, hundreds of bombings and 23 killings since 1975.
The threejudge panel working under greeces new antiterrorism laws issued blanket convictions against alexandros giotopoulos 59, as the leader of the group. November 17 were terrorists but they had some political thinking. His koufodinas adult life is made up of murders, explosions and robberies. British attache murder trial opens amid chaos telegraph. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Judges and prosecutors maintain that article 100a of the new penal code allows alexandros giotopoulos, savvas xiros, christodoulos xiros, and vasilis tzortzatos to apply for release from prison and that the petitions will be judged by the competent judicial council. The november 17 terrorists dimitris koufodinas, heraklis kostaris, alexandros giotopoulos, savvas xiros and vassilis tzortzatos were all found guilty of. He was also believed to be november 17s head of operations. Revolutionary organization 17 november wikimili, the. Dimitris koufodinas and the revolutionary organisation 17 november. The ruling by judge mihalis margaritis on alexandros giotopoulos, dimitris koufodinas and savvas xiros will come as an enormous relief. A force of 700 was deployed to apprehend alexandros giotopoulos, 58, at his holiday villa on the dodecanese island of lipsi, which has a population of just. N17s giotopoulos, koufodinas may be released under new penal code judges and prosecutors maintain that article 100a of the new penal code allows alexandros giotopoulos, savvas xiros, christodoulos xiros, and vasilis tzortzatos to apply for release from prison. Greek terror leader gets 21 life terms world news the guardian.
Unlike alexandros giotopoulos, the groups chief ideologue who denied any involvement in 17n, koufodinas took responsibility for the entire 17n experience and sought to defend and justify their violent actions. Referring to a series of post office bank robberies blamed on n17, the prosecutor claimed that the booty went directly into the pockets of alexandros giotopoulos, the alleged n17 mastermind, dimitris koufodinas, the groups reputed top assassin, and the others. He was found guilty in 2003 of leading the marxist greek urban guerrilla group revolutionary organization 17 november 17n 17n was responsible for a series of armed robberies, bombings, and. The end of greeces revolutionary organization 17 november 17n finally came on 5 september 2002 when the groups leader of operations, dimitris koufodinas, turned himself to the police. Dimitris koufodinas was, according to the attorney, the bands military chief. Widow shaken by terror verdicts the journal newcastle. Four jailed members of the nowdefunct greek terrorist group november 17, including leader alexandros giotopoulos, will be able to apply as of tuesday for conditional release on the basis of a new penal code that came into effect monday, and the groups hitman dimitris koufodinas will. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive collection ever assembled. Dimitris koufodinas, vassilis tzortzatos and alexandros giotopoulos. Greek terrorists prison parole sparks global outrage this article is more than 2 years old us expresses fears dimitris koufodinas of november 17 leftist group, who is serving 11 life sentences. Apr 02, 2005 alexandros giotopoulos, was identified as the group leader and was arrested on july 17 on the island of lipsi. Share on facebook share on twitter share via email. The head of the radical greek november 17 organisation has been jailed for life, as has the groups main hitman.
Savvas xyros also gave police the name of dimitris koufodinas, the. For their operational leader, dimitris koufodinas, and many of his. A tribunal sentenced alexandros giotopoulos 59, the leader, to 21 life terms and 25 years. We are not trying this case during wartime, said the lawyer. Two months ago convicted november 17 hitman dimitris koufodinas was granted a 48hour prison release for the first time in 15 years sparking strong reactions among his victims relatives, the greek opposition parties, as well as the united states, britain and turkey, motherlands of some of his targets. Securitization of greek terrorism and arrest of the jstor. In all, nineteen individuals were charged with some 2,500 offences relating to november 17s. Greek police, attempting to track down members of the group, had appeared hopelessly out of their depth.
A bag that xyros had been carrying contained a gun, an address book and keys. On 5 september, dimitris koufodinas, identified as the groups chief of operations, surrendered to the authorities. On september 5, dimitris koufodinas identified as the groups chief of operations surrendered to the authorities. Revolutionary organization 17 november for the airport with the faa code 17n, see cross keys airport. Leaders, alexandros giotopoulos, dimitris koufodinas. Giotopoulos led the group and koufodinas was its main hitman the head of the radical greek november 17 organisation has been jailed for life, as has the groups main hitman. Revolutionary organization 17 november military wiki.
Three judges at an antiterrorist court in athens recorded guilty verdicts on the groups suspected leader, alexandros giotopoulos, and his associates, including hitman dimitris koufodinas. Unlike alexandros giotopoulos, the groups chief ideologue who denied any involvement in 17n, koufodinas took responsibility for the entire 17n experience and sought to defend and justify their. In 1986, 17n murdered dimitris angelopoulos, one of greeces leading. Alexandros giotopoulos and dimitris koufodinas were among 15 people found guilty last week of involvement in a 25year series of crimes. Greek terror defendants dont look the part the new york. Revolutionary organization 17 november academic kids. But alexandros giotopoulos, 59, dimitris koufodinas, 46, and several other key members of november 17 were jailed for life in 2003, when the group was smashed. This framework is analysed in the most important booklength publication of the cs. Europes last revolutionary terrorists george kassimeris. A dark, balding, bearded man with the sad eyes of a byzantine saint, dimitris koufodinas was a beekeeper and seller of honey. Greek terrorists prison parole sparks global outrage.
Sep 25, 2009 but there was still an important leader at large. For the murder of industrialist alexandros athanasiadisbodosakis in 1988, convicted are. Mar 04, 2003 british attache murder trial opens amid chaos. According to the son of one of the groups victims, the police were guilty of devastating incompetence. N17s giotopoulos, koufodinas may be released under new. After 27 years of secrecy and murder, november 17 is exposed. In the preface of his book inside terrorism, bruce hoffman admits that after. N17s giotopoulos, koufodinas may be released under new penal code judges and prosecutors maintain that article 100a of the new penal code allows alexandros giotopoulos, savvas xiros, christodoulos xiros.
Dimitris koufontinas, alexandros giotopoulos, giannis serifis, theologos psaradellis and vasilis tzortzatos, imprisoned people, accused for participation to revolutionary group 17 november begin hunger strike in solidarity to aggeliki sotiropoulou, who pass the 9th day of hunger strike. Dimitris koufodinas, christodoulos xiros, vassilis tzortatos, patroklos tselentis and alexandros giotopoulos. Mar 24, 2020 wilson center experts weigh in on the coronavirus. He is believed to have been active in the parisbased student opposition to the military dictatorship which ruled greece between 1967 and 1974. Revolutionary organization 17 november also known as 17n or the 17 november group, was a greek farleft militant organization formed in 1975 and led by alexandros giotopoulos. Extremist groups information for students write a book and. The following months brought further arrests, including that of dimitris koufodinas, who surrendered to police after having spent weeks on the run. A 58yearold man, alexandros giotopoulos, was identified as the group leader and was arrested on july 17 on the island of lipsi. Until last summer, he had been living in this citys suburbs, tending hives on a grant from the european union. Giotopoulos is the son of dimitris giotopoulos, a wellknown 1930s greek communist and follower of leon trotsky.
Dimitris koufodinas, iraklis kostaris and alexandros giotopoulos were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder by an athens court in december 2003. Beyond this, however, there is no evading the fact that alexandros giotopoulos, dimitris koufodinas, and savvas xiros succeeded in running rings round the greek authorities primarily because they took advantage of the fact that greeces national counterterrorism effort was conducted for more than two decades against a background of. Savvas xiros and vassilis tzortzatos both received 18year sentences for the murder. The three judges sentenced alexandros giotopoulos, 59 the leader of the group to 21 life terms and dimitris koufodinas, 45 the. Revolutionary organization 17 november politics wiki. Information for students is designed to provide key facts and insight into the history, philosophy, and motivations driving 150 extremist organizations. Jul 19, 2002 the greek authorities were leaving nothing to chance as they closed in on the founder of the terrorist group november 17. A ninemonth trial ended with guilty verdicts for participation in the group against alexandros giotopoulos, the alleged ringleader.
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