In June 2020, Vassilis Mangos, a self-proclaimed anarchist, detailed his unprovoked detention, beating, and torture by the Volos police in a Facebook post from his hospital bed. Almost a month later, he was found dead in his home, igniting legal and public scrutiny into police conduct.
Mangos’s family, along with their lawyer, Annie Paparrousou, sued the police and although initially dismissed, the lawsuit was revived through an appeal. This led to charges against six officers for actions including torture and illegal detention, marking a significant turn.
As Ms. Paparrousou reported to TPP: “All the evidence, the witness statements in the case file and obviously all the data this time were evaluated. Obviously this was not previously done, nothing had been investigated. It has now emerged that not only were they involved, but they were responsible for these crimes.”
The implicated officers face severe accusations, with evidence indicating their guilt in crimes of a criminal nature, prompting measures to prevent further offences and ensure court appearance.
The TPP spoke with Yiannis Maggos, Vassilis’s father, who shared the significant turnaround in the case. He attributes the positive development to the persistent efforts from the family, their legal team, and broader societal support, emphasising a collective struggle for justice and an end to police brutality.
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