What I can see

At the corner of Karagiorgi Servias and Voulis Streets, we see a built-in metal plaque in memory of Thanos Axarlian, who was murdered at this spot on July 14, 1992. The plaque says “in memory of Thanos Axarlian, as a tribute to the innocent victim of terrorism, Municipality of Athens, 14-7-1992”.

What I can't see

Thanos Axarlian was a 20-year-old student, who was at the scene when the called “November 17 Revolutionary Organization”, now sentenced for terrorism, attempted to assassinate the then finance minister Giannis Paleokrasas. The perpetrators, Dimitris Koufontinas, Vassilis Tzortzatos, Kostas Telios and the Xiros brothers, hit the minister’s armored car with a rocket launcher, who was saved and only had minor burns. The fragments and the shock wave killed Thanos Axarlian and left 4 people disabled. The perpetrators managed to escape despite the police presence. In their claiming responsibility, they expressed their sorrow for the innocent victim, calling it “a collateral loss”, but attributed his death to the ambulance’s delay and not to their own disregard for human life.

Info

• Address: Karagiorgi Servias and Voulis St.

Bibliography