ATHENS, GREECE–On Monday, March 16, 2026, the Three-Member Juvenile Court of Mytilene, Greece, heard a compensation claim filed by three young individuals who had been irrevocably acquitted of charges related to the arson of the former Moria Reception and Identification Center on September 8, 2020.
The compensation proceedings were initiated following their final acquittal in April 2025 and concern the restoration of damages they suffered as a result of their wrongful conviction and detention. The applicants had remained in custody for approximately three and a half years, serving their sentences in adult detention facilities despite being minors at the time—an element that significantly aggravated the harm they endured.
In its ruling, the Three-Member Juvenile Court awarded compensation, explicitly recognizing the moral damage suffered by the applicants due to the unjust deprivation of their freedom and the prolonged judicial ordeal they faced.
Although the awarded compensation cannot fully redress the material losses and psychological suffering incurred, it constitutes a meaningful implementation of the legal provisions relevant to state liability for wrongful detention.
It also marks a clear acknowledgement of the State’s obligation to provide redress.
For further information, please contact Vasia Katsiki at vasia.katsiki@hias.org.
