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It was announced yesterday on SKAI radio that the trial in court of law for Police officers Epaminondas Korkoneas and Vassilis Saraliotis, suspects for the killing of young Alexandros Grigoropoulos, may still be postponed. Spyros Vougias, Greece’s Deputy Secretary of Defense, informed the media that the final decision is in the hands of the Ministry of Justice, while the boy’s family also has a say.

15 year old Alexis was shot dead by a policeman on the 6^th December last year. The shootout had initially started as a result of a group of young offenders trying to blockade a Police vehicle in the centre of Athens. The trial is scheduled for the 15^th of December in Amfissa, and not in Chalkida as announced initially.

The victim’s family Lawyer, Dimitris Tsovolas, has yesterday handed a request to the Supreme Court, asking for the location of the trial to be changed. The request is based on the Alexis’ mother discontent of the trial been moved outside Athens. This way, she believes, friends and relatives of the boy won’t be able to attend and follow the developments of the case. Authorities are concerned with possible civil unrest at the time of the trial, and would prefer to have it away from the capital. The family lawyer has also voiced his concerns with the unexpected change, arguing that it violated the grieving family’s rights and obstructs the process of justice. The second lawyer on the case, Alexandros Katsandonis, further questions the decision saying that moving the trial away from Athens will disable some of the witnesses from giving their statements in front of the court.

Governors of the Fokida region, where the little town of Amfissa is located, have also issued their statements on the subject. The town mayor is strongly against the decision for the trial to take place in Amfissa, and is expected to voice his objections at the special Municipal council.
In the meantime, Greek Police forces all around the country are  readying themselves for the possible civil unrest and potential terrorist attacks as the anniversaries of the 17^th of November 1974 events and the killing of young Alexis on the 6^th of December 2008 approach. Police stations all-around are in full emergency alert and sniper shooters have been commissioned in Athens. Tension is mounting further as none of the terrorist organizations in the country has claimed the responsibility of attacking the Police station in Aghia Paraskevi two weeks ago.