FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The trial has begun for the worst rail accident in Greek history, which killed 57 people in Tempi in 2023. Among the victims was 22-year-old Albanian Denis Ruçi.
In the trial, which is taking place in the city of Larissa, near the scene of the incident, 36 people are facing charges, while more than 350 witnesses are expected to testify. The accident occurred on February 28, 2023, when a freight train and a passenger train collided.
Witnesses include survivors and family members of the victims, some of whom are believed to have died in the fire after surviving the initial collision. Most of the victims were students returning from carnival celebrations.
Before the trial began, Pavlos Aslanidis, who lost his 26-year-old son and heads the Victims' Families Association, declared: "This trial is starting with great delay... what we want is exemplary punishment for those responsible."
The list of defendants includes the station manager who was on duty the night of the accident, other railway officials, as well as two former Italian employees of the Ferrovie dello Stato company.
According to the indictment, they are suspected of committing "acts that endanger the safety of railway traffic, resulting in the death of a large number of people and serious bodily injury to a large number of people."
Investigations have shown that the two trains ran on the same line for more than 10 minutes without any alarms being activated. The incident highlighted serious problems in the safety systems of the Greek rail network, despite funding from the European Union and repeated warnings from unions.
The trial is expected to last several years. Of the defendants, 33 face criminal charges and risk life imprisonment, while none of them is currently in prison.
The head of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, Laura Kövesi, said that the accident could have been avoided if the signaling system had been modernized in time with EU funds.
Meanwhile, railway workers have launched a 24-hour strike, which they have described as "an act of collective remembrance, protest and democratic vigilance . "
Due to the large number of participants, the sessions are taking place in a lecture hall at the University of Thessaly in Larisa.
The event has caused strong reactions in public opinion, with numerous protests across the country, including on the third anniversary of the accident last month.
No political officials have been included in the trial, prompting criticism of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' government for its handling of the situation. On the other hand, the opposition and civil society organizations have raised claims for the protection of those responsible.
Two former government members are currently under investigation but have not appeared in court. It has also been reported that important evidence was lost after the accident site was bulldozed a few days after the incident.
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