Christodoulos Xiros has escaped - "A political decision", his lawyer says

Hellenic police and the Counterterrorism Unit are on alert as Christodoulos Xiros who had received a 9-day leave to visit his family, did not appear yesterday at the Kallikrateia police station as he had to.

He was on leave from January 1st and was supposed to appear daily at the Kallikrateia police station in Chalkidiki which he stated as place of residence, because his sister is living there. And while he was consistent in this obligation, on Monday, he did not show up, so the police were immediately mobilized to locate and arrest him on charges of violating his detainee license.

Speaking to Skai, Ch. Xiros lawyer Frangiskos Ragkousis said that this is "a political decision, consistent with his revolutionary profile and love for freedom. He was consistent with his beliefs. Today we live today we fight." Ragkousis clarified that he has not communicated with his client yet.

Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou, by talking at the same station described the statement by Xiros’ lawyer that he "managed to escape like every revolutionary must do" as chilling, spoke about the importance of convicted terrorists not being treated as ordinary prisoners and expressed his certainty that the mobilization of police will bring results.

Following his disappearance an arrest warrant has been issued and police are searching especially Chalkidiki and Thessaloniki in order to locate him. His leave expires tomorrow and he will have to return to the Korydallos prison. Similar leaves were given to the other members of 17th of November, except Alexandros Giotopoulos and Dimitris Koufodinas. Extra security measures have been taken at the Larissa hospital where his brother, Savvas Xeros, also convicted of involvement in 17N, is being treated.

Who is Christodoulos Xiros

Christodoulos Xiros who was imprisoned as a member of the terrorist organization 17th of November, is the older of the 11 children of priest Triantafyllos. He was born in Ikaria in 1958 where he lived for many years.

One of the members of the so-called "second generation" of the organization, it seems that he was recruited in the early 80s. As he admitted, he participated in the attempted murder of Sergeant P. Chad (03/04/84), the murder of publisher N. Momferatos and his driver P. Rousetis (2/21/85), in a car explosion against a riot police bus resulting in the death of officer J. Georgakopoulos (11/26/85), the murder of industrialist M. Angelopoulos (4/8/86), the assassination of military attaché William Nordin (06/28/88) and the murder of Sergeant Ronald Stewart (03/10/91).