Greek Anarchist Trial Opens in Athens: Political Persecution?

The trial of Nikos Romanos, 33, and four other defendants over an explosion in 2024 in an apartment in Athens that left one person dead started on Wednesday in Athens. Romanos is accused of participating in a terrorist organization and the manufacture of explosive devices. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The explosion, which occurred in the Ampelokipi area in October 2024, not only caused the death of a man but also injured a woman. Authorities quickly linked the incident to the manufacture of an explosive device, leading to Romanos's arrest.

Police based Romanos's arrest on the discovery of a fingerprint on a garbage bag presumed to belong to the accused. Inside the bag, a weapon was also found, although it did not have Romanos's fingerprints. This detail has been the subject of debate and controversy in the case's development.

Romanos's supporters argue that the legal proceedings against him are due to his radical political beliefs. They claim it is a persecution based on his ideas and activism, rather than concrete evidence directly linking him to the crime.

Gabriel Sakellaridis, leader of the New Left party, has publicly expressed his support for Romanos, denouncing that "he is being persecuted for his beliefs, another on the vengeful list of the 'usual suspects'." Sakellaridis also criticized Romanos's prolonged pre-trial detention, noting that "a young man has been in pre-trial detention for 17 months without any serious legal justification".

Romanos's defense, led by lawyer Lila Ragkousi, has expressed confidence in her client's acquittal. Ragkousi told BIRN that "there is no evidence that links him [Romanos] to the slightest point of the indictment, a fact that has been proven by the investigation by the Police and Judicial Authority... His acquittal, based on all legal rules, should be considered a given. Any other development would be a blow to the rule of law".

Nikos Romanos comes from the well-known Greek Nasioutzik family. His grandfather, Athanasios, a writer, was accused in 1984 of the murder of another writer, although he was acquitted three years later. This family background has added an element of media interest to the case.

A traumatic event in Romanos's life was the murder of his friend Alexis Grigoropoulos in 2008, when Romanos was 15 years old. Grigoropoulos was shot by a police officer, an event that is commemorated to this day with annual protests.

In 2013, Romanos was arrested along with three other individuals for attempted armed robbery of a bank in Kozani, western Macedonia. Although he was acquitted of participating in a terrorist organization, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Previously, in 2012, he had been sentenced to 18 years in prison for possession and placement of explosive devices in the house of former Defense Minister Giannos Papantoniou.

During his time in prison, Romanos managed to enter the Technical University of Athens. In 2016, after a 31-day hunger strike, he was allowed to attend classes. In 2019, he was released under restrictive terms.