Greece Frees Leader of Leftist Terror Group Responsible for 23 Deaths

Release of Greek Extremist Group Leader Sparks Controversy

ATHENS, Greece – The head of a far-left Greek extremist group responsible for the deaths of 23 individuals, including businessmen, diplomats, and the CIA chief, has been released from a maximum-security prison. This announcement, made on Friday, now faces examination by senior prosecutors.

Alexandros Giotopoulos, 82, who was sentenced on November 17, has left an Athens prison as of Thursday.

The Judiciary Committee granted his conditional release based on his age, health concerns, and good conduct during his time in prison.

This decision has raised eyebrows, prompting prosecutors at Greece’s top court to reconsider the ruling, and they may pursue a challenge against it.

For more than 25 years, the group known as November 17 eluded law enforcement, carrying out bombings, assassinations, and bank heists. Their first recorded act of violence occurred in 1975 when Richard Welch, then the CIA station chief in Greece, was murdered in Athens.

A failed bombing in 2002 led to one member being severely injured, which ultimately exposed the group’s secretive operations and allowed investigators to delve into their activities and membership.

Giotopoulos, who was born in Paris and lived under a false identity for many years, had been serving 17 life sentences alongside an additional 25 years. His conviction in 2003 stemmed from his role in orchestrating numerous murders, bombings, and robberies as well as being part of a criminal organization—an appeal in 2007 upheld this conviction.

He has consistently denied the charges, asserting that his co-defendants were coerced by authorities into making false claims in exchange for lighter sentences.

In considering Giotopoulos’s release, officials noted that he completed a university correspondence course while incarcerated and adhered to the terms of recent furloughs.

November 17 derives its name from the date in 1973 when a student uprising against Greece’s military regime was violently suppressed, resulting in significant loss of life.

The group has admitted to various attacks targeting businessmen, diplomats, and high-ranking judges, including the murders of two Turkish embassy personnel and British defense attaché Stephen Sanders in Athens in 2000.