The Court of Tebs denounces conduct in the Tebs trial, calls for ethics to be upheld and takes issue with the attitude of Zoe Konstantopoulou.

At a particularly critical juncture for the progress of the trial on the rail accident of Tempe, the Lawyers’ Association of Athens intervenes with intense institutional reason, highlighting the need for strict adherence to procedural rules and ethics by all those involved in the proceedings. The announcement is intended to emphasise that the judicial proceedings must be conducted smoothly, without tensions and behaviours that may lead to delays or distraction from the substance of the case. At the same time, the IOA leaves clear hints about the attitude of the president of the Liberty Party and lawyer Zoe Konstantopoulou, which it links to incidents that, in its view, are not consistent with the institutional role of advocates, intensifying the already charged climate around one of the most complex trials of recent years.

In particular, the trial on the Tempe train accident, “must proceed unhindered and justice must be done with respect for the rights of the parties and the rule of justice“, the Athens Bar Association notes in a statement, on the occasion of the continuation of the trial at the Criminal Court of Appeal on Monday, 27 April 2026.

The spikes

The IOA is also leaving spikes for the party’s president, “Eleftherias Eleftherias” and lawyer Zoe Konstantopoulou, underlining, that “the officers and collaborators of justice must strictly observe the procedural rules and ethics and contrary behavior, manifested by a particular lawyer, we find us categorically opposed and can not be tolerated.”

Another point in the statement even noted that “the Court, which is responsible for the orderly conduct of the trial, must abide by the law. No one is above the law and no one is entitled to discriminatory treatment.”

The ICJ adds that “in addition to ensuring the necessary logistical infrastructure, however, it is necessary to avoid behaviour, inside or outside the courtroom, by parties or non-parties to the trial, which creates conditions of tension, delays the progress of the proceedings and creates risks of distraction from the main task, which is the search for the truth and only the truth.”

At the same time, the lawyers of Athens, does not fail to mention that “the Judicial Associations, but also the leadership of the Supreme Court, did not feel the need to intervene to improve the conditions for the conduct of a fair trial, but their main concern is to issue strict communications with denunciatory content, directed also against the collaborators of Justice and their institutions” and clarified: “The Athens Bar Association will not be instrumentalized or succumb to selfish pursuits or expediencies. “Screams, aggressive attitudes, slander will not bend our firm position, which is the progress of the trial and the search for the truth.”

More specifically, the IBA’s statement reads as follows

“The Board of Directors of the Athens Bar Association will not be influenced by any political or economic motives, or by any political or economic motives. of the AIA at its meeting of 23/4/2026, after being informed by the President and the appointed lawyer in support of the prosecution and counsel Theodoros Mandas, issued the following statement:

The tragedy of Tempi has shocked the Greek Society. The demand of all is to see justice done.

After three years, the time has come for the hearing, in which the Bar Associations and the D.S.A. are present, as in the pre-trial, in support of the prosecution in order not only to seek the truth but also to assign responsibility where it belongs.

It goes without saying that, in order to achieve this purpose, the conditions for a fair trial must exist.

Unfortunately, unacceptable conditions prevailed at the start of the hearing, which are not in keeping with our legal culture and did not allow for the smooth conduct of the trial and the dignified exercise of the rights of the parties and their attorneys. The responsibility for this situation lies with the Ministry of Justice.

Following direct institutional interventions by the Plenary, both to the Director of the Larissa Court of Appeal and to the Minister of Justice, logistical improvements were made which allowed the trial to proceed during the first hearing after a break. At the next hearing, it was also declared that the D.S.A. would appear in support of the prosecution together with the other Bar Associations.

We must note that the judicial associations, and the leadership of the Supreme Court, did not feel the need to intervene to improve the conditions for the conduct of a fair trial, but their main concern is to issue stern statements with a denunciatory content, directed also against the co-operators of the judiciary and their institutions.

The truth is that further improvements must be made to ensure that the litigants – relatives of the victims and the injured – can effectively follow the trial and that they can communicate with their attorneys and their attorneys’ proxies without hindrance, as well as that the work of the attorneys’ proxies can be carried out with dignity, taking into account their large number and the demands created by the voluminous case file.

In addition to ensuring the necessary logistical infrastructure, however, it is necessary to avoid behaviour, inside or outside the courtroom, by parties or non-parties to the proceedings, which creates conditions of tension, delays the progress of the proceedings and creates risks of distraction from the main task, which is the search for the truth and only the truth.

The Athens Bar Association will not be instrumentalized or succumb to selfish pursuits or expediency. Shouts, aggressive attitudes, slander will not bend our firm position, which is the progress of the trial and the search for truth.

Officers and collaborators of Justice must strictly observe the procedural rules and ethics. Contrary behaviour, manifested by a particular lawyer, finds us categorically opposed and cannot be tolerated.

We note that all the other attorneys (more than 250) have performed their duties as required by their institutional role and we must commend this attitude.

The Court, which is responsible for the smooth conduct of the trial, must abide by the law. No one is above the Law and no one is entitled to discriminatory treatment.

The Athens Bar Association, together with the Plenary, will do what it is entitled to do within the framework of its responsibilities and its institutional role, contributing to the progress of the trial.

The trial must proceed unhindered and justice must be done with respect to the rights of the parties and the rule of law.

We owe it to the victims of the accident, to the injured and their relatives, to Justice, to Society, to our History.”