Violating the measures imposed by Greece’s health authorities to contain the spread of coronavirus should be treated as a crime and prosecuted, the Supreme Court said on Thursday. Punishment reaches up to life imprisonment if violating the measures causes death.
In a memo sent to prosecution offices, the Supreme Court Prosecutor cited Article 285 of the Penal Code, which foresees stiff penalties for people violating regulations designed to prevent the spread of dangerous diseases.
The Prosecutor urged judicial authorities to “intervene” in the event that an individual behaves in a manner that “endangers fundamental legally protected rights like the right to life and physical well-being.”
The penalties start from 3-year imprisonment and fines and reach life behind bars if death is caused.
The Supreme Court memo comes after the mayor of Pyrgos, Peloponnese, denounced that people diagnosed with coronavirus and ordered to “house isolation” were defying the orders and were going out to the cafes and the market.
A woman had told a TV channel that she was “out just to go to the supermarket.”
