An Athens court is to issue its long-awaited verdict in the trial against Golden Dawn, which started more than five years ago, ruling on whether the neo-Nazi party should be found guilty of operating as a criminal organization.
The decision is due to be announced at 11 a.m. by presiding judge Maria Lepeniotou and thousands of police officers will be deployed outside the court complex on Alexandras Avenue where rallies are planned by leftist and student groups.
The court is expected to initially rule on whether GD operated as a criminal organization, systematically targeting migrants and leftists, before announcing verdicts separately for the 68 defendants, including the party’s political leadership.
GD’s leader Nikos Michaloliakos and other former MPs are not expected to be in court for the verdict.
Some 2,000 police officers are to be deployed in the streets around the court to ensure that protesters and supporters of Golden Dawn are kept apart.
Traffic alterations will be in effect in the streets around the court. Alexandras Avenue will be closed from 7.45 onwards.
Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras and Communist party secretary Demetris Koutsoubas will be present at court.
Public sector union ADEDY will hold a work freeze from 11 am until the end of the shift, the Seamen Federation from 10am until 2 pm,(ships at the port of Piraeus will remain docked during workfreeze time) in order to facilitate workers to attend rallies planned outside the court.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday expressed concern over Turkey’s decision to open to the public a beach that’s been closed since war divided the island 46 years ago.
He also warned against “unilateral actions” that could heighten tensions and undermine chances for a resumption of peace talks.
Guterres’ spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement that the UN chief urged all sides to enter into talks to resolve differences, and repeated his readiness to arrange such a meeting.
The statement came after the Cypriot government said it would lodge formal protests at the UN, the European Union and other international organization over the move to allow access to the sand in front of fenced-off Varosha, a suburb of Famagusta that’s been abandoned for 46 years.
Cyprus government spokesman Kyriakos Koushos said the move contravenes international law and UN Security Council resolutions on Varosha.
Greece’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the decision as a “flagrant violation” of UN decisions and said Athens would back the Cypriot government’s efforts.
Turkey said it’s just the beach being opened on Thursday, and the ghost town itself will be left alone for now.
The decision by the Turkish-Cypriot administration to reopen the beach section of the abandoned town of Varosha on Thursday, may “complicate efforts” for the resumption of Cyprus settlement talks, the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, said on Tuesday.
The Hellenic Gaming Commission will on Wednesday unseal the financial offer by the consortium of Mohegan and GEK Terna for the casino license at the integrated tourism and entertainment complex at Elliniko. The process is likely to be completed by end-October, after which the contract between the state and the preferred investor will be drafted and signed so that it can be submitted for approval at the State Audit Council and then ratified by Parliament.
Greece entered the second Covid-19 pandemic wave in the first 10 days of August, epidemiologist and special coronavirus committee member Gkikas Magiorkinis said during a televised briefing on Tuesday.
During the twice-weekly briefing, Magiorkinis said that new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus ranged between 200 and 400 on most days of the last month, with a mild rising tendency. The health system is feeling the pressure of the gradual increase in intubated patients, who currently have passed the 80 mark, to 87 reported on Tuesday. Most of the virus load continues to be recorded in Attica, which on a daily basis accounts for over 50 pct of all new cases nationally, he said.
The specialist warned that there is still a long way to go with he pandemic and a steep increase of contagion is expected in the coming winter, with more people spending time indoors.
At the same briefing, Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias announced a four-level plan to be used in local restrictions, depending on the severity of the outbreak.
He named them as follows: 1, preparedness; 2, monitoring; 3, increased monitoring, and 4, increased threat. Each locale’s epidemiological level will be reviewed every two weeks, he said, and adjusted accordingly. The detailed map will be presented on Friday.
He also announced the suspension of 14 schools nationally, up to today, October 6, along with certain classrooms shut down in a total of 114 areas. Most of the schools on suspended schedules are located in epidemiologically loaded areas, Hardalias noted.
Greece recorded 399 new coronavirus cases and 3 deaths on Tuesday.
And the weather forecast…
Cloudy in Attica today with the temperature expected to reach a maximum of 31 degrees Celsius.
