The Court of Appeals in Athens ordered on Thursday the release of Kostas Sakkas after 951 days (31 months) in prison without trial. The 29-year-old student was on the 38th day of hunger strike and was treated at Nikea General Hospital. the judges released Sakkas on 30,000 euro bail and conditions like: ban on leaving the Attica prefecture, obligation to go to police station every Monday, ban on any contacts with people involved in his case and only permissible residence his parents’ house.
Kostas Sakkas was arrested in December 2010 and is accused of accused of membership of urban guerrilla group Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire. He has been in pretrial custody for two-and-a-half years, when the law stipulates 18 months as the maximum.
His health is in critical condition.
Thousands of academics, artists, lawyers, politicians and activists collected signatures for the release of hunger striker. Even Samaras’ coalition government partner PASOK issued a statement on Wednesday calling the justice to apply the laws and do not violate the Constitution.
