Throw "Molotov cocktail" becomes a criminal offense

Ahead of November 17, the traditional Polytechnio Day, the Greek government is imposing harsher penalties for throwing incendiary bombs, especially during protest rallies, making it a criminal offense.

The corresponding provision was introduced, as an amendment, to the bill on the new edition of the Criminal Code.

The amendment, presented jointly by the Ministries of Justice and Citizens Protection, arrived just days before the celebration November 17, the 1973 student uprising against the then military regime, and the 13th anniversary of the shooting of a 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos by a police officer on December 6. In both cases, the police feared violent incidents, which were common in such cases.

Article 2 of the relevant amendment, entitled “Production and Possession of Explosive and Incendiary Substances”, provides that “any person who produces, supplies or stores explosives and incendiary substances, bombs or devices that may pose a danger to persons shall be punished with imprisonment for up to 5 years, minimum three years. ”

According to the second paragraph of Article 2, throwing incendiary bombs during a public assembly is an aggravating circumstance, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

“The acts referred to in the previous paragraph are punishable by up to ten years’ imprisonment if the offender commits it by participating in a public assembly, or concerns the possession of a large number of the above materials or objects,” reads the relevant passage.

The same bill also increases the punishment for the following crimes:

Murder and armed robbery resulting in death are punishable by life imprisonment. Rape of a minor is punishable by life imprisonment. More severe sentences are introduced for rape, the statute of limitations for such crimes is increased, the trials for such crimes are accelerated, the testimony of the victim is protected from “secondary victimization”. Rape or harassment in the workplace can be prosecuted if the complaint is made up to five years after the crime was committed, rather than 3 months as it is now. The right to parole is established after serving 3/5 of the sentence instead of 2/5, for life imprisonment – after 18 years of imprisonment instead of 16. For some crimes, there will no longer be the possibility of house arrest with an electronic tag. The maximum penalty for robbery has been increased from 3 to 5 years. Changed sentences for some types of fraud. In cases of aggravated usury, the maximum sentence is increased from 5 to 8 years. Setting fire to forest land becomes a criminal offense, which is compounded if the setting fire has resulted in “serious environmental degradation”. Publishing fake news that endangers public health during a pandemic or health crisis will now be categorized as a felony. And although parliamentary legal advisers have expressed doubts about the broad definition of the crime, the authorities seem to accept the amendment. …



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