The President of Greece’s Supreme Court, Ioanna Klapa, has issued a statement condemning what she described as “slander, insult, and defamation of institutions” following comments made by Maria Karystianou, head of the Tempe Victims' Relatives Association.

The dispute follows Karystianou’s intervention in the investigation into the deadly Tempe train crash, in which she accused the special appellate investigator, Sotiris Bakaimis, of failing to include crucial evidence in the case file and attempting to cover up the circumstances of the disaster.

In a strongly worded social media post, Karystianou alleged that Bakaimis was assigned the case after an intervention by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, removing it from the Larissa-based investigator, Eleni Sourla. She further claimed that key evidence—including audio recordings and digital files seized by authorities in March 2023—was being ignored, while the case was being prepared for closure based on a recently surfaced and allegedly dubious video.

Her post concluded with a direct warning:

“Don’t you dare, ‘Honourable’ Mr Investigator, to bury this case file too. Divine wrath will be resounding.”

Supreme Court response: “Democracy demands respect for institutions”

Supreme Court President Ioanna Klapa issued a formal statement in response, emphasising the importance of judicial independence and condemning what she described as attempts to undermine trust in democratic institutions.

“Disagreements over judicial decisions or actions can and should be expressed within institutional channels,” Klapa stated.

“Commentary on judicial rulings is a vital element of democracy. However, disagreement—whether legal or interpretative—cannot be expressed with slander, threats, insults, or defamation of institutions and the democratic framework that governs them.”

Klapa also defended the judicial procedures followed in appointing an appellate investigator to the case, citing similar legal precedents in high-profile cases such as the Golden Dawn trial, the Siemens corruption case, and major terrorism investigations.

She warned that “undermining institutions damages democracy itself—something we should not take lightly, even 50 years after its restoration.”

Karystianou responds: “We will not give up”

Following Klapa’s statement, Karystianou fired back, accusing the judiciary of hypocrisy and reinforcing her claims that political interference had compromised the investigation.

“In what true democracy is the head of the Executive Branch allowed to intervene in the Judiciary?” she asked, referencing a letter from Mitsotakis to Supreme Court Prosecutor Isidoros Dogiakos in March 2023, urging him to escalate the investigation.

“Does this not constitute a direct violation of the separation of powers, as enshrined in Article 26 of the Constitution?” she continued. “Respect is earned by those who truly uphold democracy and the law, regardless of their rank or experience.”

Karystianou reiterated her call for a full and independent investigation into the disaster, which she argued had exposed “every real act of slander, insult, and defamation against democracy itself.”

“For over a decade, citizens were packed into death traps because some chose to divert millions in EU funds elsewhere, rather than invest in passenger safety,” she wrote. “We will not give up.”

The Tempe train crash, which occurred on 28 February 2023, remains one of Greece’s deadliest rail disasters, sparking public outrage and repeated accusations of negligence and political interference. The case continues to be a focal point of debate over transparency, accountability, and the rule of law in Greece.

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