Zoe Konstantopoulou, lawyer for hunger striker Panos Routsis and leader of the Freedom Sailing party, rejected media reports today that the Larissa Prosecutor’s Office had accepted his request for an exhumation and toxicological examination of his son’s body.
At a press conference at the Athens Bar Association, Konstantopoulou addressed the recent reports and the broader context of Routsis’ hunger strike. Some outlets had claimed that judicial authorities had approved the second part of his request, just days after giving the green light for DNA testing to confirm the identity of Denis Routsis.
Panos Routsis, on hunger strike for 22 days, was visited today at Syntagma Square by Archbishop Ieronymos.
“Until this moment, we have received no official information whatsoever,” Konstantopoulou said. “In fact, the only formal communication we have from the Larissa Prosecutor’s Office is that there is a prosecutorial recommendation to reject the family’s request regarding the invalidity of the pre-trial process and to proceed with the investigation with new investigative actions.”
She went on to condemn the handling of the case: “This situation is deeply insulting to all citizens and to the struggle Panos Routsis is waging. Some are playing with his soul and his life. Some think this fight is a game of appearances. It is his entire being devoted to seeking justice for his child. From the side of the authorities, it is the crudest and most appalling denial of the most fundamental rights.”
