Greek Public Order Minister George Voulgarakis on Tuesday stressed that although the 'executive cell' of the notorious "November 17" has been eradicated, "certain questions remain that continue to keep the file open, as many unseen sides (of the issue) must be cleared up."

Voulgarakis spoke in Athens during the unveiling of a new book about the deadly and once-elusive ultra-leftist terror band, one blamed for numerous assassinations and bombings during the 1980s, '90s, up until June 2002.
More than a dozen individuals were tried and convicted of "N17"-related crimes, including Alexandros Giotopoulos and Dimitris Koufodinas, the chief ideologue and top assassin of the group, respectively.

"The 'N17' trial was not the trial of the century; two worlds and two ideologies did not clash, whereas the question of who created 'N17' was not answered, or if the organization’s goals were met," said Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyannis, whose husband, journalist and politician Pavlos Bakoyannis, was ambushed by ‘N17’ assassins in central Athens in 1989.
"Conversely, the trial was very significant because it reinforced the state's institutions ... Terrorists can be tried in Greece with the application of the rule of law; Greece is a democracy that proves that no terrorist has a place in our country," she added.

The book, entitled "A Juror at the N17 Trial", was written by local journalist Mihalis Dimitriou.

Source: Athens News Agency

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