Hundreds of thousands of Greeks took to the streets of Athens on Wednesday a year on from a deadly railway crash that killed 57 people, amid complaints that authorities are trying to cover up those responsible.
A year ago, an intercity passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided at high speed with a freight train near the town of Larissa in central Greece, killing 57 people, mostly young students.
The tragic accident sparked widespread debate in Athens and Brussels about the state of law and order in the country. Amid significant delays in the investigation of the case, relatives of the victims organised a campaign to collect over a million signatures on a resolution to hold politicians involved in the crash accountable by lifting their immunity.
Following the crash, the Greek parliament set up a special committee to examine whether former Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis, who resigned at the time, was criminally responsible.
A majority of lawmakers representing the ruling New Democracy Party (EPP) voted against the establishment of the preliminary enquiry committee as they concluded that the politician was not criminally responsible.
Since then, relatives of the victims as well as opposition politicians have complained that the investigation is progressing slowly, claiming that the government wants to hush up the case.
On Wednesday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis insisted that “only justice will shed light on this case” and expressed confidence that “those responsible will be punished.”
However, the case has caught the attention of the EU prosecutor, who in November 2022, even before the accident, launched an investigation into the long-delayed “717 contract” related to the modernisation of the signalling system on trains and remote control.
Most experts believe the tragic accident could have been avoided if these systems had been in place. Dutch MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld said on Wednesday:
I think we can see how corruption may literally kill.
The Greek justice authorities archived the legal case of the «717 contract» when the EU prosecutor started his investigation, and at the end of 2023, the EU prosecutor opened criminal proceedings against 23 suspects.
Meanwhile, Euractiv has obtained a report compiled by an expert hired by the victims’ relatives. According to the document, an area of about two acres was filled with gravel and concrete, which is contrary to traditional investigation protocol and means that the site where the accident occurred was “contaminated”. The document reads:
This action makes it difficult for the research and, above all, the taking of samples that might help to clarify several of the research questions.
The report says the relevant authorities have placed the material there, although for what purpose and who exactly ordered it remains to be seen.
Maria Karystianou, who lost her 20-year-old daughter Marthi in the accident has vowed to take the case to the European court of human rights. She said traces of chemicals used to “adulterate fuel” had been found at the site. She said noted:
The state is still playing with our pain. I have no faith whatsoever in the Greek judicial system.
On Wednesday, it was the memory of loved ones grieving families wanted to honour amid wreaths and flowers left at the crash site. Antonis Psaropoulos, Marthi’s distraught father, said:
Today is a day of pain. For all of us, time stopped on 28 February 2023, a cursed day … a black hole in time.
