Absences following a barrage of complaints and tensions in the “trial of Tembi,” neither Maria Karystianou in the audience of the “Gaipolis” courtroom in Larissa.
When the trial began last March, three years after the train train tragedy in Tempi, a particularly tense atmosphere developed, with the victims’ relatives—led by Maria Karystianou— and the defense attorneys, led by Zoe Konstantopoulou and Nikos Konstantopoulos, to denounce the unsuitability of the courtroom and, in no uncertain terms, to speak of an organized plan aimed at undermining the social significance of the proceedings.
““We want the guilty to be punished,” they declared at the start of one of the most eagerly anticipated and emotionally charged trials of recent years in the specially designed courtroom in Larissa, before the Three-Member Court of Appeals for Felonies in Larissa.
After successive adjournments, on May 27, 2026, the trial was set to resume, as the renovation work had been completed, and the courtroom, which had been 283.75 square meters at the trial’s opening session on March 23, had been expanded to 452 square meters, just asthe number of seats had also increased by 100.
The number of seats was increased, only to end up empty. And the packed courtroom of the early days is slowly losing its noise and the audience its… vibrant energy.
And just when calls were pouring in for a larger courtroom capable of meeting the needs of such an important trial of intense public interest, regarding the public gallery, which was situated on a different level from the courtroom, hindering the smooth observation of the proceedings, and regarding incidents where children and close relatives of victims were not allowed entry due to alack of space, the seats gradually began to empty.
From the victims’ relativesthemselves, who express disappointment with the proceedings and are filing appeals with the European Court of Justice, the defendants—who will be present only at hearings where their presence is required—the television cameras, and the media representatives. That is also where the latest mass protest took place, while the accusation that the renovated courtroom essentially operates as a “restaurant license,” despite the millions of euros spent on its renovation. Ultimately, only the victims’ relatives, the injured survivors, and the Greek State are expected to be present at the trial.
The Three-Member Court of Appeals for Felonies in Larissa accepted the Greek State’s statement and excluded the Bar Associations and the Panhellenic Union of
The trial resumes, then, shortly before recessing for the summer break, against the backdrop of a simple, everyday trial, where prosecutors and defense attorneys… are locked in a legal battle. In the courtroom, just over 150 people. And many of them are absent…
“…It takes patience and courage from all the parents and relatives who are here, on this Golgotha. Today, hundreds of buses will arrive from all over the country; thank you—they will be a driving force,” said Pavlos Aslanidis last March.
“Unfortunately, I’m coming with very low expectations,” said Maria Karistianou, adding: “No investigation has been conducted into the death of my child, who was burned alive, nor is there a defendant… There is no indictment regarding Contract 717, nor are any high-ranking officials standing trial… We, as parents, sit and watch this whole farce. We will continue to speak out, demand the truth, and do whatever is necessary.”
Last May, the victims’ relatives were torn apart. The announcement by Karystianos’s party shifted the balance of power within the Association of Victims’ Relatives as well as among the audience in the courtroom where the high-profile trial is taking place.
“Right now, there is a shift in focus. Any statement made by a victim’s relative who is involved in party politics or has other motives does not help the progress of the case,” noted Pavlos Aslanidis.
Where did everyone go…
April was marked by criticism from judges and victims’ relatives regarding the extreme scenes featuring Zoi Konstantopoulou, president of the Freedom Movement, and hertoward the president of the Union of Judges and Prosecutors, Christoforos Sevastidis, as well as the two criminal cases filed against her for illegal video recording inside the courthouses.
Vehement protests, objections, and serious allegations that seem to have… fizzled out. Just like the fervor of those orchestrating them, who had rushed from the very beginning to exploit the tragedy at Tempi and to fan the outrage of victims’ relatives and defense attorneys regarding the conditions under which the trial was conducted, the infrastructure, and the legal maneuvers.
The situation has become tense following the court’s decision to accept the Greek government’s intervention in support of the prosecution. The relatives speak of “provocative maneuvering” aimed at bolstering the government’s narrative that the incident was solely due to “human error.”
Frequent interruptions, heated verbal exchanges, and a tense atmosphere, with the families of the 57 deceased demanding the full disclosure of the truth and accountability at all levels during the initial hearings.
Gradually, the trench warfare shifted locations and moved out of the specially designed “Gaipolis” courtroom in Larissa, where the trial was being held.
And some took care to fabricate an alibi by aligning themselves with Maria Karystianou’s statements denouncing and refusing to recognize as legitimate the specific judicial proceedings regarding the Tempi tragedy, denouncing it as a “mock trial” and an alleged attempt to protect the guilty.
