Thanasis' family to file criminal charges in connection with his death

The family of National Guardsman Thanasis Nikolaou will take action to enable criminal prosecutions and lawsuits after consulting with their attorneys. The family claims that "no action was taken by the Public Prosecutor's Office," that office was not informed of the investigations, and that there has been "continued indifference to justice." They will take action against people for whom there is sufficient evidence, as mentioned in a statement.

The statement read, "Despite the reasons given to them, the family of Thanasis Nikolaou, who was murdered by cowards on September 29, 2005, while on duty at the National Guard, has concluded that further interrogations conducted by the Police recently, on the orders of the Attorney General, have not revealed any evidence leading to the discovery of Thanasis' killers."

It added that through this process, "unnecessary time was wasted to the detriment of the police and prosecution's mission to effectively investigate the murder".

It also stated that the family and their attorneys were not informed of the police investigations' findings and that "no action was taken by the Prosecution against persons who clearly did not carry out their task of effectively investigating the murder."

The document concludes, "In light of the foregoing and the continued disregard for justice, it has been decided to develop an initiative under the Act to pursue criminal prosecutions and lawsuits against the persons who appear from the interviews of the last three Investigating Officers we have appointed with the DG's approval and for whom there is sufficient evidence of such action." 

[This article was translated from its Greek original]