Maria Karystianou took to X to respond to a statement by Ioanna Klapa, President of the Greek Supreme Court, accusing Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of violating the separation of powers. According to Karystianou, the Prime Minister’s request to appoint a special appeals judge for the Tempi train crash case was a direct interference in the judiciary.

In her post, she argued that:
“Those who violate the law and disregard constitutional guarantees of judicial independence are the ones who truly undermine democracy.”

Karystianou’s Full Statement:

*”I read with interest today’s statement by the President of the Supreme Court, Ms. Ioanna Klapa, who states: ‘Democracy requires respect for institutions.’

As an active and critical citizen, I ask: In what kind of true democracy can the head of the Executive Branch intervene with the head of the Judiciary, who was appointed by the government, as Prime Minister Mitsotakis did in his letter to Supreme Court Prosecutor Isidoros Dogiakos on March 6, 2023, requesting that the Tempi case be handled at the highest investigative level?

Is this not a blatant violation of the Separation of Powers, as outlined in Article 26 of the Constitution, which safeguards the proper functioning of a real democracy?

Does this not contradict the criminal procedure law, which defines the process for appointing a special appeals judge—without any provision for Prime Ministerial intervention?

Those who violate the law and ignore constitutional guarantees of judicial independence are the ones truly undermining democracy.

Respect is earned and granted only to those who genuinely uphold democracy and the rule of law, regardless of their position, experience, or knowledge.

In the Tempi case, which exposed corruption, negligence, and the failure to protect citizens, revealing how for over a decade people were packed into ‘death wagons’ while EU funds meant for safety were misused elsewhere, we will not back down.

We remain committed to justice for the victims and dedicated to our constitutional duty to protect democracy from those who, through hypocrisy, are actively dismantling it.“

Supreme Court President’s Response: “Disagreements Should Not Be Expressed Through Defamation and Insults”

Earlier, Supreme Court President Ioanna Klapa issued a statement responding to Karystianou’s previous criticism of the judicial handling of the Tempi disaster investigation.

Klapa emphasized that while legal disagreements are legitimate and essential in a democracy, they must be expressed through institutional channels, not through defamation, threats, or insults towards democratic institutions.

She explained that the appointment of a special appeals judge follows strict legal procedures under Greece’s Code of Criminal Procedure, with the decision made by the Appeals Court Plenary, not by government officials.

Klapa highlighted that similar judicial appointments had been made in cases such as:

• The November 17 and ELA terrorist organizations
• The Vatopedi monastery scandal
• The structured bonds case
• The judicial corruption network cases
• The Siemens bribery case
• The Golden Dawn criminal organization trial

She concluded by reaffirming that:
“Judges remain bound only by the law and their conscience, safeguarded by the Constitution’s guarantees of judicial independence.”