Scheduled for noon, the trial did not begin until 1:30 p.m. local time and ended at 3:00 p.m.
Due to the large number of people involved (there are more than 140 defendants and 220 witnesses), the trial is not taking place in court, but in a specially designed room next to the high-security Korydallos prison in southern Attica.
The lawyers have requested a larger courtroom, which the judges will consider for the next date later this month.
The court is a three-member panel: there are three senior judges who will decide by majority.
The defendants are fanatics facing trial on charges of participation in a criminal organization related to a 2023 incident of hooligan violence in the port city of Piraeus, which allegedly resulted in the death of a police officer.
Early Wednesday morning, police blocked the street in front of the building. Some Olympiacos fans gathered, but there was no organized rally in support of the accused.
Police measures were very strict: the identity of everyone who wanted to enter the courtroom was checked and a metal detector was used to scan backpacks. There are separate entrances for lawyers and trial witnesses and journalists. A makeshift media center was set up in an adjacent room.
The trial began in absolute silence as the judges took their seats and requested the presence of the accused. The names of the accused and witnesses were read. The police officers were hooded and heavily armed.
The next hearing will take place on November 25.
