SYRIZA leader Tsipras visits CoS, Athens Court of Appeals

Main opposition Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) leader Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday visited separately the Council of State (CoS) supreme administrative court and the Athens' Court of Appeals where he met with Prosecutor for Corruption Eleni Raikou and Court of Appeals chief prosecutor Manolis Rassidakis.

Tsipras characterized his visit to CoS, as useful and constructive, while its chief judge Sotiris Rizos said on his part that the meeting was useful and productive.

The SYRIZA leader said that the independent justice is the main pylon of democracy in a period of crisis that affects institutions. He also said that the CoS purpose is to ensure that constitutionality is being preserved and citizens are protected.

Tsipras noted that the CoS “should function undistracted without political interventions,” adding that “for the past three years the Constitution is violated by order of our lenders. […]. But this way the core of democracy is being violated”.

On his part, CoS chief judge Rassidakis said that he had the opportunity to explain the court's role in a period of a prolonged and multifaceted crisis and referred to the difficulties faced by the court in solving state/citizen constitutionality disputes.

In the meeting with Prosecutor Raikou at the Athens Court of Appeals, the SYRIZA leader was briefed on the problems and the operation difficulties faced by judicial authorities while conducting investigations.