Prosecutor for Ampelokipoi case: Acquittal of N. Romanos, guilty verdict for two others

The prosecutor recommended the conviction of two defendants, Marianna M. and Dimitra Z., and the acquittal of three others due to “very serious doubts,” among them Nikos Romanos (who has been held in pre-trial detention since November 2024), in the court case concerning the explosion in Ampelokipoi.

She found the two women guilty of forming and joining a terrorist organization, aggravated manufacture of explosive devices, possession of explosive materials, explosive devices, pistols and ammunition, as well as procurement and possession of explosive substances.

Regarding the “torn and dirty garbage bag” that contained a wrapped firearm, on which Nikos Romanos’s fingerprint was found, she said it was established that “besides the fingerprints of the defendants, there were also other unidentified ones.” She further noted that “the bag was not disposable and had been used many times,” while stressing: “Is it possible that he took measures to keep the weapon clean, but did not do the same for the bag?”

As a result of the explosion in the apartment in Ampelokipoi in October 2024, the anarchist K. Xymitiris lost his life.

During previous hearings of the trial, which began on April 1, all defendants testified. Marianna M. did not deny her political responsibilities, but rejected the indictment. She stated that the existence of a terrorist organization presupposes a specific structure, roles, and specialized functions, emphasizing that no such characteristics emerge in this case.

Nikos Romanos, on the other hand, stated among other things: “For things I have done, I have no problem taking responsibility. In this case, however, I made no such choice. I am here to prove that I am not an elephant. For a bag that initially ‘had two fingerprints’ and in the end not two, but one hundred and two. And the prosecutorial narratives keep changing. And I say, whatever happens, I cannot know when I came into contact with a bag. No matter how many questions are asked, I cannot know.”

Sources: Κathimerini, Press Project, Omnia TV