‘Prankster’ who threatened to blow up Athens airport sentenced to prison
A 42-year-old Russian citizen, who was arrested in January for sending messages via e-mail threatening to plant bombs at the Eleftherios Venizelos airport and in six hospitals in Attica, was sentenced to prison in absentia on Wednesday.
The Three-Member Magistrates’ Court of Thessaloniki found him guilty of serious disruption of the orderly operation of a service, spreading false news, attempting to obstruct transportation, and threatening to commit an act of terrorism, all misdemeanor crimes. The man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison, with a three-year suspension.
The defendant did not appear in court, nor was he represented by an attorney. During the preliminary investigation, however, he denied that he was the sender of the disputed messages. He claimed he was a “blogger” and attributed the incident to rivalries with “YouTubers.”
In the messages he said he would detonate explosives, describing himself as an imam of the Taliban. “I am a Tatar Muslim and I am ready to shed my blood for Islam,” the message said.
