allowing Savvas Xiros, to leave prison would be regarded by the U.S. as “a profoundly unfriendly act”
While prison reform and improving humanitarian conditions are important, the US Ambassador had underlined,
“the issue is that convicted terrorists and murderers … should serve their full sentences in prison,”
David Pearce had stated, describing possibilities of letting the terrorist the chance to “activate contacts” that potentially could threaten threaten the public safety.
No terrorist will be released, assured John Kerry, some hours later, Greek Foreign Minister in DC
“The new law in Greece about the prisoners will not let any terrorists become free.”
They will be “placed under house arrest, under the conditions provided by the law” Kotzias noted, during the meeting with John Kerry
@SpiegelPeter@atsipras Xiros should not set foot out of prison before his sentences are served 11:46 PM – 28 Apr 2015
US ambassador angry response to Tsipras’ interview in enikos.gr – VIDEO
Pearce replying to a tweet by Financial Times journalist Peter Spiegel, who uploaded the relevant video, said that ‘Xiros should not set foot out of prison before his sentences are served’.
Pearce replying to a tweet by Financial Times journalist Peter Spiegel, who uploaded the relevant video, said that ‘Xiros should not set foot out of prison before his sentences are served’.
“Both sides expressed their commitment to the two countries’ multi-level cooperation”
“The friction, the intense disagreement [with the U.S.] which took place, has not spoiled the two countries’ relationships, and has not influenced negatively the negotiations “
“Personally, and also on what it may concern our government,” Alexis Tsipras had added “we are twice or thrice more sensitive (against terrorism), not by definition, but by necessity, because crimes have been committed in the name of left-wing ideals. We are all the more anxious, terrorism actions NOT to be called revolutionary; these are not revolutionary actions, they are actions of exerting power. I wanted to make that clear.
Ironicaly, where the Greek PM seats today, has been the seat of the US Ambassador….
…after the German Occupation times. It was just after the war, and actually, the American Ambassador in Athens transcended the German Admiral of the Aegean Sea who was using the mansion as his residence during the German Occupation. After the war the building was shortly used as the seat of the U.S. Ambassador in Athens. In 1952 Dimitrios Maximos sold the mansion to the Greek State at a favorable price. Consequently the building fell to misuse until 1982, when it was decided by the government to renovate it and use it as the seat of the Prime Minister.
Executive Order, also issued by the Depatment of State, on April 21, for November17 terrorists Christodoulos Xiros and Nikos Maziotis
Terrorist Christodoulos Xiros, Savvas Xiros brother was multiply times given permissions for some days to leave prison under Samaras’ government for quite long time, which helped him to easily escape for a whole year, between January 2014 to January 2015, by simply by failing to report to authorities while visiting his family during a nine-day leave from prison
By a Media Note released by the Departement of State, on April 21 2015, Greece was informed that two of the Greek terrorists who have been active during the last years in the country are designated under Executive Order of the United States. In the same List where Christodoulos Xiros and Miaziotis are targeted had been Osama Bin Landen and the most Wanted terrorists for the USA.
the Department of StateWashington, DC
April 21, 2015The U.S. Department of State has designated Christodoulos Xiros and Nikolaos Maziotis under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. As a result of these designations, all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which Xiros and Maziotis have any interest is blocked and any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen. U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with Xiros and Maziotis, or to their benefit.
Christodoulos Xiros was one of the chief assassins of 17 November, until his arrest in 2002. In January 2014, Xiros was serving multiple life terms at the Korydallos Prison near Athens, Greece, when he disappeared while on furlough from the prison, after being granted temporary leave to visit his family in northern Greece. 17 November was active beginning in the 1970s through the early 2000s, claiming attacks against Greek politicians and businessmen, as well as Western interests. After his escape, he publicized a manifesto focusing on his discontent with the Greek government. Xiros was re-arrested by Greek police in January 2015 while planning to carry out armed assaults in Greece, possibly with the intent to free other prisoners. At the time of his arrest, Xiros was likely coordinating with members of Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei, a group designated by the State Department under E.O. 13224 in 2011.Nikolaos Maziotis is the leader of the Greek terrorist organization, Revolutionary Struggle. He was arrested with six other alleged members of Revolutionary Struggle in 2010, but went missing in the middle of his trial. In April 2014, under the leadership of Maziotis, Revolutionary Struggle claimed responsibility for a bomb blast in central Athens outside the branch offices of the Greek central bank. On July 16, 2014, Maziotis was re-arrested by Greek police after a shootout in Athens’ central tourist district, which left four people wounded. Revolutionary Struggle was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State on May 18, 2009 and is most well-known for a rocket-propelled grenade attack on the U.S. Embassy in Athens in 2007.The Department of State took this action in consultation with the Departments of Justice and the Treasury. We will continue to take such actions against terrorists and terrorist groups in Greece and elsewhere.
On April 24, John Brady Kiesling, Former diplomat in in the U.S. Foreign Service, wrote on his article on Huffington Post :
More than half the known members of 17N are out of jail already, and all of them are now docile good citizens. Xiros’s current obsessions, at least his public ones, are not revolutionary. Sending home a mostly blind, somewhat deaf, partly mangled, and mystically addled icon painter will not encourage more terrorist attacks on U.S. interests.