Legal procedure

Accused drug lord starts presenting his defense

BELGRADE -- Darko Saric on Wednesday told the Special Court for Organized Crime in Belgrade that he did not commit any of the crimes cited in the indictment against him.

An appeals court in Thessaloniki on Wednesday rejected a request by the city?s former mayor, Vassilis Papageorgopoulos, who is serving a prison term for embezzlement, to be released from jail until the Supreme Court hears his appeal against his sentence.

A suspect of raping a dog was acquitted of all charges Dec. 30 in a trial that drew much attention after its judge abased the animal who was the victim of the violence, calling her "a mongrel," prompting a social media campaign.

Turkey’s top court has dismissed two separate appeals from the main opposition party concerning the contested local election result in the capital Ankara, citing lack of jurisdiction.

The trial of more than 60 people, including 16 Golden Dawn MPs, accused of being part of a criminal organization is due to begin by early November, sources have told Kathimerini.

A court of first instance in Athens has ruled illegal a strike by the civil servants’ union ADEDY over the evaluation process in the public sector.

The government has launched an appeal against the action, and future strikes for the same reason, last week.

However, the court decided that its verdict would not apply until an appeal by the union has been heard.

Two Golden Dawn deputies were on Friday scheduled to face two special magistrates leading a large-scale investigation on the activities of the ultra nationalist party. Antonis Gregos and Polyvios Zisimopoulos, both of whom face charges over participating and running a criminal organization, were set to give their depositions to Ioanna Klapa and Maria Dimitropoulou.

Ivanović to remain in jail for two more months

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA -- Civic Initiative SDP leader Oliver Ivanović will remain in prison for another two months, it has been reported on Friday.

His lawyer Nebojša Vlajić said that the decision to extend the detention was made by EULEX pre-trial judge of the Municipal Court in Kosovska Mitrovica.

The procedure for the election of a Chair of the Sofia Appellate Court collapsed after the sole candidate, Veselin Pengezov, failed to summon enough votes.

The Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) did not back the nomination of Pengezov for a second term in office.

Pengezov is being investigated for abuse of EU funds under the "Administrative Capacity" operational program.

The panel of judges that made the decision paving the way for the release of 230 suspects in the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) trial consisted of three women.