“Until the government backs down, we won’t back down either.” Dimitris Vervesos declares “K”.. The President of the Athens Bar Association is clear on the industry’s intentions in the ongoing dispute with the Department of Justice regarding the granting of mandatory prison terms to offenders. It all started a few months ago with the adoption of a new norm of Part 6 of Article 187 of the Criminal Code.

It states that “the sentences of persons who have committed crimes (even misdemeanors) against property and property, if they commit a crime as part of a gang, are not reduced or canceled” and “all members of a criminal organization are sent to prison regardless of the sentence.” .”

The decision to remove lawyers from participating in trials in cases of criminal organizations was made in April last year and will last until the end of this year. The decision to extend the period of abstinence was taken in September last year, but exceptions were made in cases where there is a risk of restriction or the maximum period of detention has been reached. Lawyers consider the provision unconstitutional in the sense that it removes the presumption of innocence of the accused.

“Whoever has carried out an active action can end up in jail, and someone who has committed a criminal offense can go free,” says DSA President Dimitris Vervezos.

“Thus, the one who painted graffiti, occupied a public place, organized a rally or held an active action, may end up in prison, and the one who committed a crime will walk free,” the DSA president says revealingly.

The risk of statute of limitations for the defendants’ crimes was alluded to by the president yesterday in the Folley-Folley trial, which stalled on abstention.

“In this case, we are not talking about the statute of limitations, when something like this happens, we are informed, and we give permission to colleagues to appear in court,” Mr. in custody, which is 12 or 18 months, we give permission as early as 10 or 16 months for a trial.”

In addition, he recalls, “the statute of limitations for serious crimes comes at 15 years, for misdemeanors – at 6 years.” In addition, the chairman of the DSA recalls that “the president has the right, if he decides, to judge even in the absence of lawyers.”