HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------Court Convicts Euro Aviation Buffs
By DEREK GATOPOULOS
.c The Associated Press
KALAMATA, Greece (AP) - Fourteen aviation buffs were convicted on misdemeanor espionage charges Friday and ordered to serve one to three years in prison for taking notes on aircraft at Greek military bases.
But the court suspended the sentences after the ``plane spotters'' appealed, ending - at least for the time being - a case that caused considerable friction between Greece and Britain.
The 12 British and two Dutch aviation enthusiasts were released pending an appeals hearing. As no hearing was immediately scheduled, all 14 planned to leave Greece on Saturday.
The group was arrested after an air show on Nov. 8 in Kalamata, about 150 miles southwest of Athens, and accused of being spies. They said they were merely practicing their hobby but spent five weeks in prison before they were freed on bail.
Originally charged with a felony carrying a maximum of 20 years in prison, the charges were later reduced to a misdemeanor.
Police initially said they were photographing aircraft but during the trial, prosecution witnesses admitted the group had taken no pictures at any of the six air bases they visited.
A three-judge panel, however, dismissed the defendants' arguments, and convicted them Friday on the basis of the notes found in their possession.
Eight were convicted of gathering illegal information and the six others of complicity. The eight were then sentenced to three years in prison; the six others to one year.
Richard Howitt, a British member of the European Parliament, who testified on the group's behalf, called the result ``diabolical'' and pledged to take the case to the European Court.
Other British lawmakers in London also expressed their shock.
``It just seems absolutely incredible and unbelievable that a Greek court should come to this decision,'' said Conservative deputy Gerald Howarth, a pilot for 35 years. ``It is a very popular occupation in this country among people interested in aviation. I just cannot believe that the Greeks have taken this attitude toward them.''
Plane spotters, as they are known in Britain, observe, photograph and take notes such as the serial numbers of military and civilian aircraft. The hobby is virtually unknown in Greece, which has a tradition of tight military controls because of long-standing territorial disputes with neighboring Turkey.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair ``continues to follow this case closely,'' his spokesman said, adding that Blair has in the past brought it up with his Greek counterpart Costas Simitis.
``The government has always believed that the response to this case has been disproportionate and will continue to give the defendants and their families as much help as it can,'' the spokesman said on customary condition of anonymity.
Defense lawyers and witnesses argued that the information they were accused of gathering on the planes was freely available in books and on the Internet.
But prosecutor Panagiotis Poulios said the group knew the information was supposed to be secret.
``They knew they gathered it illegally, and they knew that it could damage national security if it fell into the wrong hands,'' he said in his closing statement.
04/26/02 15:51 EDT
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