One police personnel was injured in an overnight petrol bomb attack that appears to have targeted the home of Greece’s top court president.
The attack by unidentified individuals took place around 12.45 a.m. local time in the eastern suburb of Papagou, where the home of the Supreme Court’s president is located.
The police officer who suffered injuries to his face and hand was taken to a nearby military hospital, while the police patrol car was also destroyed in the attack.
Nine people initially detained in and around the crime scene were released, and a comprehensive investigation by anti-terror police is currently underway.
Police officer or judge the target of the petrol bomb attack
The state-run broadcaster ERT said the anti-terrorist squad has undertaken the preliminary investigation. It was not clear if the attack was aimed at the guard or the head of the Supreme Court, known as Areios Pagos, Ioanna Klapa.
However, a police spokesperson said that the attack targeted the policeman and not the judge. “It seems that the attack was against the police officer, and not against the house,” spokeswoman Konstantia Dimoglidou said.
“We do not know if these people simply wanted to kill a police officer, to cause panic, to injure him.”
Police is examining CCTV footage from cameras in the area to trace the movements of the culprits. The police officer injured during the attack serves at the local Papagou police station, which has undertaken to guard the Supreme Court president’s house, and was not a member of the judge’s security detail.
Petrol bomb attacks are frequent in Greece
The attack was promptly condemned by the government. “Our democracy and its pillars, such as the Judiciary and its officials, will not be intimidated,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said in a statement and wished the injured officer a speedy recovery.
The Citizens’ Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis said: “The perpetrators of the attack on the house of the president of the Supreme Court will be identified and arrested. Those that persist in such activities will be eliminated.”
Petrol bombs, also known as Molotov cocktails, are used more frequently in Greece compared to other countries.
Protests and demonstrations are a common way for Greeks to express dissent against government policies, austerity measures, or perceived injustices. Petrol bombs are sometimes used as a tactic during these protests, particularly by anarchist or far-left groups.
The materials needed to make a petrol bomb are readily available and relatively easy to obtain. This makes them a low-tech weapon compared to firearms, which are more regulated in Greece.