Greece appeals court rules 10 people guilty over deadly 2018 wildfire near Athens
FILE PHOTO: Eleni Anagnostaki, 85, sits in the yard of her destroyed house in the village of Mati, near Athens, Greece, August 22, 2018. Picture taken August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis/File Photo
ATHENS (Reuters) -A Greek appeals court found 10 people guilty on Tuesday of misdemeanour charges over a wildfire in 2018 that killed 104 people, a ruling that angered relatives of those who died in the country's worst such disaster in living memory.
The court upheld a lower court verdict from last year but ordered the conviction of an additional four people on misdemeanour charges, including involuntary manslaughter, bringing the total to 10, among them former fire brigade officials and a man accused of arson, legal sources said.
Eleven people, including regional governors, were cleared.
The sentences will be announced on Wednesday. The penalty for a misdemeanour may be a suspended prison sentence or a jail term with the alternative of a fine.
The blaze that ripped through the seaside town of Mati, about 27 km (17 miles) east of the capital Athens, in July 2018 killed 104 people and injured dozens. Most of those killed were caught in a maze of thickly-forested streets as they tried to flee in their cars.
"Such a horrible disaster so badly handled and it's being treated as a misdemeanour. That's far too lenient. It's sad," said Alexandros Papasteriopoulos, a lawyer representing relatives of the dead.
Survivors and relatives released black balloons and held white roses during the trial to honour those killed. They shouted "shame" when the verdict was announced.
The disaster cast a pall over the then-leftist Syriza government, with survivors accusing authorities of botching rescue attempts. Authorities dismissed the accusations, saying that erratic winds fuelling the flames meant there was no time for coordinated action.
Devastating wildfires have become more frequent in Mediterranean countries. Scientists attribute their frequency and intensity to the increasingly hot and dry weather conditions linked to climate change.
(Reporting by Renee MaltezouEditing by Frances Kerry)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
French rabbi tells of two attacks in one week as hate crimes rise
PARIS (Reuters) - A French rabbi was attacked on Friday for the second time in a week, he told Reuters, reflecting a broad rise in hate crimes across France that has included high-profile anti-Semitic assaults. Elie Lemmel said he was sitting at a cafe in the Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine on Friday when he was hit in the head by a chair. "I found myself on the ground, I immediately felt blood flowing," he said. He was stunned and unsure what exactly had happened, he said, initially thinking something must have fallen from a window or roof, before it occurred to him he had been attacked. "Unfortunately, given my beard and my kippah, I suspected that was probably why, and it's such a shame," he said. Friday's incident follows another in the town of Deauville in Normandy last week, when Lemmel said he was punched in the stomach by an unknown assailant. Lemmel said he was used to "not-so-friendly looks, some unpleasant words, people passing by, spitting on the ground," but had never been physically assaulted before the two attacks. The prosecutor's office in Nanterre said it had opened an investigation into the Neuilly attack for aggravated violence and that a person was being held for questioning. It said it could not provide further details. "This act sickens us," former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal wrote on X regarding Friday's incident involving Lemmel. "Antisemitism, like all forms of hatred, is a deadly poison for our society." Last week, five Jewish institutions were sprayed with green paint in Paris. "I condemn in the strongest possible terms the anti-Semitic attack that targeted a rabbi in Neuilly today. Attacking a person because of their faith is a shame. The increase in anti-religious acts requires the mobilization of everyone," Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said in a post on X. France has seen a rise in hate crimes. Last year, police recorded an 11% rise in racist, xenophobic or antireligious crimes, according to official data published in March. The figures did not include a breakdown by attacks on different religions. (Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter, Antony Paone, Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Japan allows longer nuclear plant lifespans
Japan pledged to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent in the next decade from 2013 levels, a target decried by campaigners as far short of what was needed under the Paris Agreement to limit global warming. - Reuters TOKYO: A law allowing nuclear reactors to operate beyond 60 years took effect in Japan on Friday (June 6), as the government turns back to atomic energy 14 years after the Fukushima catastrophe. The world's fourth-largest economy is targeting carbon neutrality by 2050 but remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels -- partly because many nuclear reactors were taken offline after the 2011 Fukushima meltdown. The government now plans to increase its reliance on nuclear power, in part to help meet growing energy demand from artificial intelligence and microchip factories. The 60-year limit was brought in after the 2011 disaster, which was triggered by a devastating earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan. Under the amended law, nuclear plants' operating period may be extended beyond 60 years -- in a system similar to extra time in football games -- to compensate for stoppages caused by "unforeseeable circumstances", the government says. This means, for example, that one reactor in central Japan's Fukui region, suspended for 12 years after the Fukushima crisis, will now be able to operate up until 2047 -- 72 years after its debut, the Asahi Shimbun daily reported. But operators require approval from Japan's nuclear safety watchdog for the exemption. The law also includes measures intended to strengthen safety checks at ageing reactors. The legal revision is also aimed at helping Japan better cope with power crunches, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine sparked energy market turmoil. Japan's Strategic Energy Plan had previously vowed to "reduce reliance on nuclear power as much as possible". But this pledge was dropped from the latest version approved in February, which includes an intention to make renewables the country's top power source by 2040. Under the plan, nuclear power will account for around 20 per cent of Japan's energy supply by 2040 -- up from 5.6 per cent in 2022. Also in February, Japan pledged to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent in the next decade from 2013 levels, a target decried by campaigners as far short of what was needed under the Paris Agreement to limit global warming. Japan is the world's fifth largest single-country emitter of carbon dioxide after China, the United States, India and Russia. - AFP
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Joyful aidiladha celebrations in Indonesia, communal spirit at embassy deepens brotherhood
Indonesian Muslims attending mass prayers during Eid al-Adha celebrations at the Great Mosque of Al Azhar in Jakarta on June 6, 2025. - Reuters JAKARTA: Millions of Muslims across Indonesia performed the Aidiladha prayers at mosques and open spaces on Friday (June 6), followed by the ritual animal sacrifice (qurban) and distribution of meat to the needy-symbolising sincerity, compassion, and social responsibility. President Prabowo Subianto also joined the congregational Aidiladha prayers at Masjid Istiqlal in central Jakarta, alongside former Vice President Jusuf Kalla, heads of state institutions, ambassadors, and cabinet ministers on Friday morning. He devoutly participated in the full series of worship at South-East Asia's largest mosque, which was packed with hundreds of thousands of worshippers. Meanwhile, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka performed his prayers at Masjid Sheikh Zayed in Solo, central Java. As a sign of devotion, both Prabowo and Gibran donated sacrificial cows weighing 1.25 tonnes and 1.1 tonnes respectively to Masjid Istiqlal's qurban committee, to be slaughtered on Saturday (tomorrow). In addition, Prabowo purchased 985 cows from 573 local breeders across various districts to be distributed to mosques in all 38 provinces and 514 regencies or cities nationwide. "Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha 1446H. May this sacred day continue to strengthen brotherhood, foster solidarity, and serve as a foundation for building Indonesia with unity and devotion,' Prabowo wrote on his X account. For hundreds of Malaysians in Jakarta, this year's Aidiladha celebration was not only about fulfilling a religious obligation but also evoked memories of festive moments back home. At the Malaysian Embassy in South Jakarta, more than 400 guests gathered for prayers, followed by the slaughtering of three cows and 16 goats, and Friday prayers. "This sense of togetherness rekindles the spirit of gotong-royong (communal cooperation), even though far from our homeland,' said Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia, Datuk Syed Mohamad Hasrin Tengku Hussin. The event proceeded smoothly from early morning, with all preparations completed before Friday prayers, followed by a communal feast and distribution of qurban meat to the Malaysian community and nearby residents. "Alhamdulillah, everything went well, thanks to the collaboration of embassy officials, staff, the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to Asean, and Malaysians celebrating Aidiladha,' he added. - Bernama
