Three new procedural requests have been submitted by lawyers representing victims’ families in the trial concerning the deadly Tempe rail disaster. The requests concern adjustments to witness examination order, the summoning of additional witnesses not named in the indictment, and the submission of electronic correspondence between the Ministry of Transport and key railway authorities—including OSE and ERGOSE—regarding Contract 717 for the period 2021–2023.
Reordering Witness Testimony by Theme
Antonis Psaropoulos, a lawyer for victims’ families and father of one of the victims, filed the requests. Citing Article 351 of Greece’s Code of Criminal Procedure, he proposed reorganizing the witness examination sequence into six thematic groups. Under this proposal:
- The first group would include first responders—such as rescuers—who intervened immediately after the collision;
- The second would cover witnesses on railway infrastructure and safety systems;
- The third would focus on experts and technical consultants related to the fire that followed the crash;
- The fourth would involve witnesses describing actions taken at the site in the days immediately following the accident;
- The fifth would include forensic pathologists and others involved in managing digital evidence; and
- The sixth would consist of eyewitnesses and survivors of the crash.
Additional Witnesses Sought
In his second request, Psaropoulos proposed summoning several individuals not currently listed in the indictment: senior officers from the Hellenic Fire Service; the former CEO of OSE (Hellenic Railways Organisation) who served between 2023 and 2025; and the former CEO of Interstar Security—the private firm responsible since 2017 for guarding and video surveillance of OSE’s rail network.
Contract 717 Communications Sought
The third request seeks the submission of official email exchanges between the Ministry of Transport and railway bodies concerning Contract 717. Psaropoulos stressed that these communications are critical for the court to form a fuller understanding of responsibilities tied to the criminal charge of endangering public transport safety.
Following a brief adjournment, further requests are expected from other prosecution-support lawyers in the case.