A strong bomb explosion targets a Greek prison guard's home
THESSALONIKI, Greece — A bomb explosion targeted the home of the president of the Greek association of prison guards early Saturday morning in the country's north.
The guard, named Konstantinos Varsamis on the association's website, was left unharmed after about three kilograms (about 6.6 pounds) of explosives went off at 2:10 a.m. local time, police said. Two people suffered minor injuries from shattered glass.
The explosives were placed outside his apartment building's front door in Sykies, a suburb in the northern city of Thessaloniki, where he lives on the first floor, according to authorities. The blast damaged three apartment buildings, shattering their windows and collapsing a shared wall, according to an Associated Press reporter on-site.
'I woke up because of the very loud bang of the explosion,' Tzetno Kelo, 52, who lives in an adjacent apartment building, said. 'Shattered glass from a window fell on my bed and I was covered in blood.' He was treated at a hospital before being discharged
Police said a witness saw a man walking in the densely built street shortly before the explosion.
Varsamis has worked for many years at Diavata prison, west of Thessaloniki, known for housing many criminal gang members as well as convicted terrorists.
Two police officers said they are focusing their efforts on criminal gangs rather than terror groups. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not supposed to comment on an ongoing investigation. The police have already deposed Varsamis, they said.
The police's Organized Crime Unit is leading the investigation.
Costas Kantouris, The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
6 hours ago
- CTV News
Quebec City judge to rule Thursday on bail for three accused of extremist plot
The RCMP says four people, including active members of the Canadian Armed Forces, are facing charges after allegedly plotting to "forcibly take possession" of land in the Quebec City area. This RCMP handout image shows military-style training police allege the accused took part in. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Quebec RCMP (Mandatory Credit) QUÉBEC — A Quebec court judge will decide Thursday whether to grant bail to three men facing terrorism charges in the Quebec City region. Judge René de la Sablonnière heard final arguments Monday from Crown and defence attorneys. Simon Angers-Audet, 24, Raphaël Lagacé, 25, and Marc-Aurèle Chabot, 24, face charges of facilitating a terrorist activity and other charges related to the illegal storage of firearms and possession of explosives and prohibited devices. The men are accused of plotting to forcibly take over land in the Quebec City region. There is a publication ban on details of the testimony during the bail hearing, which began last week with an RCMP officer testifying for the prosecution. A fourth accused — Matthew Forbes, 33 — is facing weapons charges and was granted bail under a lengthy list of conditions that include wearing a GPS tracking bracelet. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2025.
CTV News
20 hours ago
- CTV News
Suspect in Michigan Walmart stabbings is charged with a rarely used state terrorism count
In this image taken from video provided by Chris O'Brien, stabbing suspect Bradford Gille of Afton, Mich., is confronted by bystanders at a Walmart parking lot at a gun point, Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Traverse City, Mich. (Chris O'Brien via AP) DETROIT — A Michigan prosecutor filed a terrorism charge Monday against a man accused of stabbing 11 people at a Walmart store. The charge has been rarely used in the state's courts since it was adopted more than 20 years ago during the national outrage over 9/11. Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg said she believes the charge fits because the weekend attack was intended to 'put fear in the entire community and to change how maybe we operate on a daily basis.' But proving that could be difficult. Bradford Gille, 42, has a history of mental health problems. A judge signed an order Friday, the day before the attack, telling police to find him and take him to a hospital because he was considered a risk to himself or others. Police said they were unable to find him. Moeggenberg also filed attempted murder charges, one for each Walmart stabbing victim. A not-guilty plea was entered for Gille, and bond was set at $100,000. Tobacco companies are 'selling cigarettes with Fiberglas and chemicals in 'em just to kill off the population. You can't really accuse me of anything if you're doing that,' Gille said in court. A look at Michigan's terrorism law: Lawmakers respond to 9/11 The Michigan Legislature in 2002 created and amended a stack of anti-terrorism laws after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington. A terrorism crime is defined as an act 'intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population or influence or affect the conduct of government or a unit of government through intimidation or coercion.' A conviction carries a sentence of up to life in prison. 'I don't see the prosecutor being able to establish this,' sad Margaret Raben, a Detroit-area lawyer who has served as president of a statewide association of defense attorneys. 'It seems to have been a random thing, and the fact that he injured 11 people doesn't make it any less random.' Gille's mental health will be an issue. He'll likely be evaluated to determine if he understands the charges and can assist his lawyer. Experts will also determine if he can be held criminally responsible. Gille seemed irritated during his court appearance. When asked if he had money for a lawyer, he told a magistrate: 'Not to give you.' He suggested he was homeless, noting he had no mailing address. In 2016, Gille was accused of smashing a cemetery vault that had not yet been covered with grass, one of many encounters with local police over many years. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity, according to Emmet County court records. 'He never should have been out on the street. It was just sad,' Karl Crawford, superintendent of Greenwood Cemetery in Petoskey, Michigan, told The Associated Press. School shooter convicted of terrorism There's no dispute that a terrorism charge is rare in Michigan. Wayne County, the largest in the state, has never used it, according to Maria Miller, a spokesperson for the prosecutor. The biggest case: the 2021 Oxford High School shooting in which four students were killed and more were wounded. Ethan Crumbley, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, pleaded guilty to terrorism, murder and other crimes, and is serving a life sentence. He had planned the attack. It was the first time that a school shooter was convicted of terrorism in the United States, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said. 'The sheer force of destruction, violence, trauma and murder the shooter caused that day did not stop at the doorway of Oxford High School. It was carried through the doors and out into the community,' McDonald said. Ed White, The Associated Press Associated Press reporter Corey Williams contributed.
National Post
a day ago
- National Post
Canada's justice system is bringing itself into disrepute: Full Comment podcast
Article content Article content Article content Article content One-day sentences for aiding and abetting the Islamic State terror group, a few short years for murder, but possibly more if you're an anti-vaccine trucker: these stories and loads of others from recent Canadian court cases seem to be undermining the public's faith in our justice system. Brian Lilley chats with Postmedia columnists Jamie Sarkonak and Chris Selley about how things went so wrong and what to do about it. They also discuss the recent acquittal of the five hockey players for sexual assault, and how the judge's exceptional handling of the case shows that all is not lost if we want to fix the system — if anyone in government is ever willing to try. (Recorded July 25, 2025.) Article content Article content Article content Article content
