Andrew Symeou's trial was due to start in Greece in June 4th, but to no one's surprise, it has been adjourned. However, he has been allowed out on bail, from Korydallos jail, for the first time in over ten months.
Korydallos Prison Complex is the main prison of Greece, housing both maximum security men and women. Its most famous detainees are the notorious November 17 terrorist members. The prison has consistently been cited by Amnesty International as one of the worst prisons in Europe, both for its overcrowding and inhumane treatment of detainees. The Hellenic Parliament has vowed to improve conditions, but due to bureaucratic delays, little has changed.
A reminder, of the background, from Fair Trials International
In July 2007, Andrew Symeou went on holiday with friends to Zante, Greece. While Andrew was staying in Zante another young British man, Jonathan Hiles, fell off an unguarded stage platform in a night-club, became unconscious and, tragically, died two days later from his head injury. Andrew is accused of having struck Mr Hiles causing him to fall. However, witnesses have confirmed Andrew was not in the club at the time. [My emphasis]
· Two of Andrew's friends were interviewed by Greek police after Andrew himself had left Zante. These young men reported that they were subjected to brutal treatment by the police, who held them for 8 hours without food or water. While in custody they were beaten, punched, slapped and threatened by the officers until they gave statements implicating Andrew in Mr Hiles' death. Andrew's friends immediately retracted the statements on their release and informed consular officials about the treatment they received. · There is strong evidence that witness statements were manufactured by Zante police. The same police officers were reported as taking statements in two different places at the same time and witnesses gave word-for-word identical statements. CCTV footage showing those involved in the incident leaving the nightclub has been deleted and is not available to use in Andrew's defence.
Extradition · Despite the serious flaws with the case against him, the British courts refused to stop Andrew's extradition. On 1 May 2009, the High Court decided that Andrew Symeou should be extradited to Greece to face trial under a European Arrest Warrant ("EAW").
reading the fair trials updated makes me so angry at the injustice served on Andrew and his family. Andrew has experienced the most dreadful things in jail and no one in our government or the european governement has taken steps ,fully within their power, to release Andrew from this horrific ordeal.
Tomorrow Andrew will be reunited with his family but still has this awful accusation hanging over him.
Please keep writing to your MP and the media to keep this in the news until Andrew is free and back in his homeland.
Good point Jax. We must keep pressure on MPs, and Ministers. The issue is wider than just the freedom of Andrew Symeou, although that in itself is a horror. It affects us all.