Explosion in Ampelokipoi: Proposal for Acquittal for Nikos Romanos and Two Others

The prosecutor of the Three-Member Criminal Appeals Court, Alexandra Pischina, concluded that there was an organization targeting an unknown state structure and proposed the conviction of two defendants for the explosion in an apartment in Ampelokipoi on October 31, 2024. At the same time, she requested the acquittal of Nikos Romanos and two other defendants due to “serious doubts.”

Regarding Nikos Romanos, the prosecutor pointed to the results of the fingerprint report, which noted that “inside a torn and dirty Sani trash bag, a wrapped weapon was found,” with a section of an external fingerprint of Nikos Romanos and an internal one of the fifth defendant, Argyris K. Furthermore, “it was discovered that, in addition to the fingerprints of the defendants, there were other unidentified prints. This indicates that, firstly, the bag was not single-use and had been used multiple times… I can’t imagine that five people were needed to put weapons in one bag… Is it possible that precautions were taken to clean the weapon but not for the bag? Consider that the ideological space of the group has a broad purpose, and a bag could be used for peaceful or even military purposes by different individuals,” the prosecutor added.

She went on to state that “from the explosion until the arrest, their habits did not change — there was no panic or attempt to hide. Any indications that came to light in court were not presented as full evidence. In this specific case, there are very serious doubts, and therefore, I request their acquittal. Similarly, I request the acquittal of the third defendant for all the charges, as he only accompanied the others to a meeting.”

As for the two first female defendants, the prosecutor concluded that it was proven that they committed the following acts, depending on the case: forming and joining a terrorist organization, the distinguished construction of explosive devices, possession of explosive materials, firearms, and ammunition, as well as the procurement and possession of explosives.

Beginning her speech, the prosecutor characterized this case as “difficult and delicate,” analyzing the “particularly serious charges against the five defendants.” She referred to the social relationships developed by Kyriakos Xymitiris, who lost his life in the explosion, and the two first female defendants in Berlin in 2018 and how these continued after their return to Greece, describing them as “three close friends involved in the anarchist movement, which supports armed struggle — using weapons against oppressive state violence, with no intent to overthrow the regime.”

The prosecutor concluded that “the relationship of intimacy, sincerity, companionship, and solidarity among them shows that there was no reason to hide from Dimitra Z. that Xymitiris was involved in armed struggle. I find it inconceivable that lies would have crept in between them.” Referring to the apartment, she described it as an “ideal hideout,” explaining that “the choice of this particular apartment is not coincidental. It is in a popular district of Ampelokipoi, on the outskirts of Athens, in a pivotal area between key arteries of Athens, near state structures, just a few meters from the Ampelokipoi Police Station, large hotels, GADA, the park of the police, and the Ministry of Justice. The first one who knew about it was Dimitra Z., who had previously visited the property.” She added that “Dimitra Z. is the central figure. Everything revolves around her schedule, so that when the operation is complete, she will be far away.”

According to the prosecutor, the claims about the presence of guests for whom keys were requested for the apartment were not credible. She also analyzed the mobile phones found during the investigations, concluding that it was a “multi-person group of the three to five individuals involved here, as it seems that at least two more individuals were involved, as evidenced by the two unlinked phone lines found in Xymitiris’ possession.”