Thirteen people from Thessaloniki squad released

Thirteen people who had been detained on Sunday morning during a police raid in a burned-out squatted centre in Thessaloniki were released pending trial on Monday.

They face charges of violating legislation on cultural heritage and built environment as well as for disobedience, while the Public Prosecutor's Office set a trial date, state-run news agency ANA-MPA reported, without disclosing the date.

The police raid took place after a complaint was filed for illegal construction work in the grounds of the squat, known as Libertatia.

The listed two-storey building was completely destroyed by a fire set by suspected far-right members of a nationalist rally in Thessaloniki in January 2018 who were protesting the Macedonia name talks.

Since then, various people belonging to anarchist groups have tried to make some repairs.

Located on Leoforos Stratou, in the centre the city, the building was initially squatted in 2008 and gradually became a social centre used by several groups before eventually turning into a housing squat.