Maria Karystianou, President of the Association of Individuals Affected by the Tempi Train Disaster, has announced on Wednesday a press conference for Friday, April 10, in response to the latest controversy surrounding Greece’s official investigation into the tragic collision that killed 57 people on February 28, 2023.
In a strongly worded statement, Karystianou accuses Greek authorities of systematically concealing the truth about the causes of the disaster. Her announcement follows the collapse of credibility surrounding the EODASAAM - the national body tasked with investigating the incident - after its president, Christos Papadimitriou, resigned amid contradictory statements about key evidence, including the presence of a massive fireball and the role of silicone transformer oil. Karystianou described the investigation as a «fiasco» citing conflicting narratives and what she calls a deliberate attempt to suppress findings that point to the real causes of the explosion.
She also denounces the government for failing to include crucial video footage in the case file. The videos, allegedly ordered by the lead investigator in March 2023, mysteriously went missing, only to reappear two years later - discovered, according to reports, in a computer's recycle bin by a private security firm in February 2025. The footage was then leaked by a journalist before being officially added to the legal dossier.
ΔΙΑΒΑΣΤΕ ΕΠΙΣΗΣ
Further raising alarms, Karystianou criticizes the Greek government for appointing a Supreme Court prosecutor who, instead of investigating the cover-up, launched an inquiry into whether the EODASAAM’s report could unduly influence the judge overseeing the case - a move she sees as a thinly veiled attempt to bury the truth.
Karystianou says the press conference is being held «in defiance of authoritarianism and the insult to our intelligence», and she urges scientific and legal associations to participate, including Greece’s Technical Chamber, the Association of Chemical Engineers, and the Union of Judges and Prosecutors.
Her message is clear: the truth must come to light, not only for the memory of those lost but to protect future generations. «We are all citizens of this country» she says, «and we have a duty to support the public dialogue. The truth is the only justice for our children who died—and the only shield for those who still live».
