The union stressed that ‘it is one of those rare times when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of another state attempts to openly intervene in the justice system of our country, although it is well aware of the meaning of the separation of powers’.
The full statement by the Association of Judges and Prosecutors reads:
‘The Association of Judges and Prosecutors expresses its serious concern over the recent announcement by the US Department of State, which states verbatim that “the US is deeply disappointed by the decision of the Piraeus Court of Appeals to release Alexandros Giotopoulos”, while it then notes that it “urges the Greek government to do everything it can to return Giotopoulos to prison”.
‘It is one of those rare times when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of another state attempts to openly intervene in the justice system of our country, although it is well aware of the meaning of the separation of powers. We do not know whether it is now customary in the US for the government to annul judicial decisions. In Greece, however, democracy and the inherent separation of powers assign responsibility for determining whether the conditions for the conditional release of prisoners have been met, for any crime and regardless of whether they are being held in prison, exclusively to the judiciary.
‘As a judicial union, we strongly protest against this unfortunate announcement and expect support for the judicial system from the entire political world.’
______________________________________________
Are you seeking news from Greece presented from a progressive, non-mainstream perspective? Subscribe monthly or annually to support TPP International in delivering independent reporting in English. Don’t let Greek progressive voices fade.
Make sure to reference “TPP International” and your order number as the reason for payment.