Judges begin review of plane spotters' case

A panel of three Greek judges today began reviewing the case of the British and Dutch plane spotters - a day after a prosecutor recommended they all stand trial for espionage.

The judges in the southern town of Kalamata are expected to rule on whether to refer them to trial, release them on bail or charge them with lesser offences.

If tried on felony charges of espionage, the group faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Defence lawyer Iannis Zacharias said a decision could be reached today, or the panel could take a few days to rule on the case. If the judges decide to release any of the suspects, they could walk out of jail the same day.

The group’s defence team appeared before the panel in camera to argue their case, pressing for the group’s release on bail.

In a key 36-page report submitted to the judges yesterday, the prosecutor argued that evidence indicated the group had been spying, and recommended they all be tried.

Zacharias said the report recommended that five members of the group for whom no physical evidence was found should face trial because they had provided ‘‘psychological support’’ to the other group members.

The 12 British and two Dutch plane spotters have been in jail since they were arrested on November 8 after attending air force day at a Kalamata military air base.

They claim they did not violate the ban on photography at military installations and were only engaged in their hobby of observing and taking notes about aircraft.

Greek authorities say the group was warned on three occasions before their arrest that photography was not allowed in military areas and that their activities were regarded as suspicious.

Plane spotting is virtually unknown in Greece, which has a tradition of tight military controls because of long-standing tensions with neighbouring Turkey.

The 13 men are being held in prison in the southern town of Nafplion, while the sole woman in the group, 51-year-old grandmother Lesley Coppin, is in Korydallos prison near Athens.