Memorial concert for Tempe railway disaster victims gets green light amid controversy
In a marathon and at times emotional session, the Central Council of Modern Monuments (KSNM) of the Ministry of Culture late Thursday unanimously approved the request from the Association of Relatives of the Victims of the Tempe railway disaster to organize a memorial concert at the Panathenaic Stadium (also known as the Kallimarmaro) on Friday, October 11.
A key concern among KSNM members was the concert ticket price of 15 euros and its intended purpose. According to the submitted request, the concert aims to honor the 57 victims of the February 2023 collision and provide financial support for their families. However, Maria Karystianou, the president of the association representing approximately ten families and mother of a victim, has publicly stated that the proceeds will also be used for legal battles abroad.
It was also noted that the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC), the managing authority of the Panathenaic Stadium, has already granted the monument to the association free of charge as a gesture of solidarity through a private agreement. This agreement stipulates that the concert’s proceeds will assist the victims’ families and that the event will not carry any political undertones.
A legal representative for five families of victims not affiliated with the association chaired by Karystianou emphasized that the ticket price gives the concert a commercial character, which they argued was concealed in the request to the HOC. They asserted that the names of the deceased were being exploited for the benefit of a specific association and that references to legal actions abroad undermine the credibility of the Greek justice system.
The KSNM confirmed that there was a discrepancy between what was stated in the association’s formal declarations to the HOC and its request to the council, as opposed to the oral clarifications provided regarding the concert’s purposes. It was specifically noted that the concert aims to support the victims’ families by fulfilling the statutory objectives of the association, contradicting allegations from other parties.
Ultimately, considering the goal of honoring the memory of the victims, the KSNM granted approval for the concert while requesting the payment of legal fees to the Ministry of Culture, clarification of the request, and responsible declarations from the association regarding the concert’s objectives and allocation of its proceeds. Additionally, the council demanded the completion of a technical report on the structural adequacy of the scaffolding to be used, as well as the association’s full liability for any potential damages or vandalism.
The announcement of the concert has sparked public disputes among the crash victims’ relatives, involving exchanges of legal notices and requests for precautionary measures.
The concert will feature prominent musicians, including Thanasis Papakonstantinou, Sokratis Malamas, Tania Tsanaklidou, and Foivos Delivorias.
