Heavy rain in Athens? Justice employees use hairdryers for case-files and court-rulings

After every heavy rainfall in Athens, state employees at the archive of Athens Court of First Instance plug hairdryers, lay case-files and court rulings on the floor and press “ON” to start drying them. Reason for this unorthodox practice is that the roof of the building leaks and the official documents get wet. Raindrops put a risk that the text disappear from the papers.

The archives of the Athens Court of First Instance of all years until 2015 are located in the basement of the Athens Court of Appeals.

According to a report broadcast by Open TV, judicial officers are forced to dry the documents every time after a heavy rainfall.

Video: Worth watching for the pictures!

Thanassis Kokkinos, member of the board of directors of Athens judicial officers said among others, that “we have been requesting for the resettlement of the archives for a long time. The holes in the ceiling cause this to happen every time it rains.”

Kokkinos said that the problem exists since one year but no improvement proposals have been included in any maintenance report.

Apart from original case files and court rulings, also the founding statutes of companies are archives there. All in original form as there are no digital copies.

PS Can you imagine you request a document and they tell you “Come later, it is in the dryer right now?”