Two men arrested over 2010 Marfin arson attack – woman sought in Britain

After 16 years, police are for the first time close to solving the deadly arson attack with petrol bombs carried out by a group of unidentified individuals against the Marfin bank branch on Stadiou Street, during a protest against the bailout memorandum.

Specifically, those who were killed at the time were Angeliki Papathanassopoulou, 32, who was four months pregnant, Epameinondas Tsakalis, 36, and Paraskevi Zoulia, 35. They were trapped by the flames on the third floor of the building and died from suffocation.

According to reports, forensic laboratories recently submitted a new report to the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (DAOE), containing findings from the ongoing investigation and new analysis methods that led to the identification of individuals involved.

The Directorate for Combating Organised Crime requested from the prosecutor that the case file be reopened. The new evidence was provided to the investigating judge, who examined it and issued two arrest warrants. These were executed on Tuesday morning in Athens, leading to the arrest of two 42-year-old men who, according to the Hellenic Police (EL.AS.), belong to the anti-authoritarian movement. An international arrest warrant is also expected to be issued for a 46-year-old woman, who is allegedly their accomplice and has been living in the United Kingdom for the past six or seven years.

The woman is believed to have had a secondary role in the attack, while the arrested men are alleged to have played an active role and been involved in the deadly arson attack, which had remained unsolved for years.

The case file is being handled by the 3rd Regular Investigating Magistrate. According to police sources, the investigation uncovered new evidence that led to the identification of the arrested individuals.

Marfin: The timeline of the tragedy that claimed three lives

It was May 5, 2010, when, during a major demonstration in central Athens against the austerity measures linked to the bailout agreement, a group of unidentified individuals attacked the Marfin-Egnatia Bank branch at 23 Stadiou Street with petrol bombs.

As the main march of protesters was moving up Stadiou Street towards Syntagma Square, a group of masked individuals attacked the Marfin building. They threw Molotov cocktails and a bottle filled with petrol inside. Thick smoke soon engulfed the entire bank branch.

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Most of the employees crowded into the small ventilation shaft that was connected to the rooftop through a metal grille, which one of them managed to break. They then climbed through the shaft onto the roof, from where they jumped onto a neighbouring building after smashing its glass window with a wooden plank, while some others had managed to get out onto the first-floor balcony.

Epameinondas Tsakalis, Paraskevi Zoulia and the pregnant Angeliki Papathanassopoulou were trapped by the flames on the third floor of the building, resulting in their deaths from suffocation. According to forensic pathologist Filippos Koutsafitis, “the smoke and toxic gases released from the burning plastic and paper materials killed them almost immediately. They lost consciousness and died shortly afterwards.” When they were found, their mouths were open and their faces were blackened by the smoke. It appears that they had attempted to escape from inside the building through the rooftop door, but it would not open.

Some groups with their faces covered, among those moving parallel to the march, had attempted to carry out arson attacks on a bookstore belonging to the Ianos chain, which was located directly opposite the bank, as well as on a mini-market, but they were prevented from doing so amid reactions.

Marfin: The sentences

One person (T.S.) was arrested as a suspect in the bank arson attack and was referred to trial on charges of “intentional homicide committed while in a calm state of mind, acting jointly and repeatedly, both completed and attempted; explosion resulting in death and danger to people and property; the manufacture and possession of an explosive device; and the unlawful damage of foreign property through an explosion by a person whose facial features were covered.”

The judicial ruling states that there were also two other perpetrators of the arson attack, whose identities remain unknown. At the same time, another person was referred to trial for the arson attack on the “Ianos” bookstore

After numerous postponements, the trial concluded in October 2016 without any of the perpetrators of the arson attack being convicted. The defendant, who describes himself as an anarchist, was unanimously acquitted by the Athens Mixed Jury Court “due to the lack of sufficient evidence of guilt”. Eyewitnesses testified during the trial that the arson attack had been carried out by a group that had structure and coordination. Firefighters testified that some protesters prevented them from approaching, while others tried to help them move forward, but overall the large crowd of demonstrators facilitated their access to the branch.

In another trial, which concluded in July 2013, the CEO of Marfin, the building’s security officer, and the branch manager were found guilty of negligent homicide of three employees, causing bodily harm to another 21 employees, as well as multiple failures regarding fire safety measures and staff training. Specifically, the report prepared by the technical inspector of the Ministry of Labour stated that the emergency exit was locked and that opening it required the use of a remote control, which was held by the branch manager. One employee testified that a demonstration on the use of fire extinguishers had taken place once, while another said that informational leaflets on fire protection had been distributed to staff. All employees testified that no building evacuation drill had ever been carried out. The branch also did not have the legally required fire safety certificate. Furthermore, according to the indictment, not only had employees not been instructed to leave their positions before the arson attack, despite existing fears of serious incidents during the march passing through Stadiou Street, but they had instead been instructed to continue working as normal.

The three bank executives were sentenced to prison terms: the first two received 22-year sentences, while the branch manager was sentenced to five years and one month. It later became known that the employees had been at the bank that day despite a general strike having been declared, out of fear that they might lose their jobs. Lawsuits were also filed by victims and their relatives against the bank. Compensation of approximately €1.1 million was awarded to the relatives of one victim and €720,000 to the employees who were trapped inside the building.

The events at Marfin left a lasting mark in the years that followed on the country’s political life, public discourse, and society’s response to what Greece experienced during the years of the crisis.