Friction mounts in judiciary over union’s Koufodinas initiative

Dozens of senior ranking judicial officials have signed a statement to protest against the initiative taken by the presidency of the Union of Judges and Prosecutors last Friday to urge the state to reconsider its stance regarding jailed terrorist Dimitris Koufodinas who has been on a hunger strike since January.

 In the statement issued on Monday, the 38 officials stressed that it is imperative for the justice system, and not least the Union of Judges and Prosecutors, to remain impartial otherwise “the prestige, credibility and the independence of the judiciary” is compromised. 

“The representatives of the union had an obligation to its members to keep intact the image of impartiality and objectivity of its members and this obligation was not observed,” it said, among other things. 

“We control [the state’s] actions, according to the law, if and when an appeal is filed against the terms of the sentencing by the one who has a legal interest or if the violators of the relevant restrictions are referred to the courts,” it added.

Tellingly, deputy prosecutor of the Supreme Court Isidoros Dogiakos resigned from the union in protest.