ATHENS — Greece has been reconciling with its longtime
anti-American insurgency movement.
More than two years after it declared the end of left-wing terrorism,
Greece has begun releasing insurgents convicted of sabotage and other
offenses. Officials said the release comes as the Athens government has
determined that Al Qaida and Islamic operatives pose the new threat to the
country.
On Nov. 7, the only woman ever found guilty of terrorism offenses in
Greece has been freed. Irene Athanassaki, who had been serving a 25-year
sentence, was released by a five-member Appeals Court, Middle East Newsline reported.
Ms. Athanassaki personified Greece's new policy of making peace with the
former left-wing insurgency. In 2004, she was sentenced to the maximum 25
years for her role in the Revolutionary Popular Struggle, or ELA. ELA has
been deemed the oldest left-wing insurgency group in Greece.
The appeals court accepted Ms. Athanassaki's argument that she was no
longer dangerous. In 2005, she was acquitted of charges that as an ELA
operative, she was responsible for a series of bomb attacks on government
buildings.
All six of the defendants in the second trial were acquitted. The court
cited lack of evidence.
The left-wing insurgents released were convicted of crimes that took
place in the 1980s. Many of them, such as Ms. Athanassaki, were now in their
50s and have pleaded to poor health.
In 2005, a Greek court released another ELA operative, Christos
Tsigaridas, on grounds of poor health. Another colleague who attended Ms.
Athanassaki's appeals hearing was Mihalis Kassimis, acquitted in two ELA
trials.