Christos Sartzetakis
Encyclopedia
Christos Sartzetakis is a Greek jurist and former supreme justice of the Court of Cassation (Greece)
, who served as the fourth President of the Third Hellenic Republic
from 1985 to 1990. He was born in Neapoli, Thessaloniki
in 1929. His father who was serving as a police officer in Thessaloniki - where he met his mother - was Cretan, having born in Kandanos
, Chania
, while his mother who was born in Sklithro, Florina was Macedonian, i.e. Greek.
He entered the Law Faculty of the University of Thessaloniki
in 1946, and received his degree in 1950, after which he practiced law in Thessaloniki
. In 1954 he received his license to practice law after successfully completing the Bar examination
. In November 1955, he was named Justice of the Peace. A year later, he became a magistrate of the Court of First Instance.
He was the unyielding prosecutor
in the sensational case of the assassination of the left-wing member of parliament (and ‘doctor of the poor’) Grigoris Lambrakis, committed on 22 May 1963 in Thessaloniki by right-wing extremists. Lambrakis had called for Greece
to disarm and withdraw from NATO. Over half a million people attended his funeral. In spite of obstruction of justice by his superiors, Sartzetakis doggedly pursued his investigation to the end. He succeeded in convicting the police officers involved in the murder; they were later rehabilitated by the military junta
.
The circumstances of the Lambrakis investigation was the theme of the well-known 1966 novel Z
, by Vassilis Vassilikos
and portrayed in the 1969 Costas Gavras film Z
.
After the Lambrakis prosecution, Sartzetakis left for Paris on a state-sponsored educational leave to study comparative law at the Faculté de Droit et des Sciences Économiques de Paris and Centre Universitaire des Études des Communautés Européennes. Immediately following the coup d'état
of 21 April 1967 by George Papadopoulos
, he was called back to Athens
by the military junta. Along with 29 other magistrates, he was discharged by a "Constitutional Act" from all his legal functions on 29 May 1968.
He was twice arrested, and imprisoned for almost a year until he was released on 19 November 1971 under mounting international pressure. He was tortured by the Greek military police
.
In September 1974, after the toppling of the dictatorship and the restoration of the democracy in Greece (metapolitefsi
), Sartzetakis was completely rehabilitated.
In the following years he became chairman of the Court of Appeal and finally, in October 1982, a member of the Court of Cassation (Greece)
. Sartzetakis became a fellow of several international legal societies. He also wrote several legal and political studies.
In March 1985, the government headed by prime minister
Andreas Papandreou announced plans to reduce the powers of the presidency, and the governing party PASOK
refused to renew the term of Konstantinos Karamanlis. Karamanlis resigned, and Sartzetakis was elected by the parliament to a 5-year term as the fourth President of the Hellenic Republic (or fifth, including President pro tem Alevras). Holding no official political affiliation, Sartzetakis was the president of metapolitefsi
from 30 March 1985 to 4 May 1990.
Although Sartzetakis was viewed as a hero of the democracy and is thought highly by the Greek Left, he was actually always a conservative right-wing royalist. His zeal to uncover the facts behind the Lambrakis assassination was not based on his political views, but on his professionalism. He still attends many ceremonial events in Greece, including patriotic celebrations. Sartzetakis has been honored several times as doctor honoris causa and been given the highest decorations of many states. He is still widely known and respected for his integrity as a judge, and as a fighter for democracy.
Court of Cassation (Greece)
The Court of Cassation is the Supreme Court of Greece for civil and criminal law. The Court of Cassation's decisions are irrevocable. If the Court of Cassation concludes that a lower court violated the law or the principles of the procedure, then it can order the rehearing of the case by the lower...
, who served as the fourth President of the Third Hellenic Republic
President of Greece
The President of the Hellenic Republic , colloquially referred to in English as the President of Greece, is the head of state of Greece. The office of the President of the Republic was established after the Greek republic referendum, 1974 and formally by the Constitution of Greece in 1975. The...
from 1985 to 1990. He was born in Neapoli, Thessaloniki
Neapoli, Thessaloniki
Neapoli is a suburb of the Thessaloniki Urban Area and was former municipality in the regional unit of Thessaloniki, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Neapoli-Sykies, of which it is a municipal unit...
in 1929. His father who was serving as a police officer in Thessaloniki - where he met his mother - was Cretan, having born in Kandanos
Kandanos
Kandanos or Kantanos is a town and former municipality in the Chania peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kantanos-Selino, of which it is a municipal unit. It was part of the former Selino Province which covered the southwest of the...
, Chania
Chania
Chaniá , , also transliterated Chania, Hania, and Xania, older form Chanea and Venetian Canea, Ottoman Turkish خانيه Hanya) is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania peripheral unit...
, while his mother who was born in Sklithro, Florina was Macedonian, i.e. Greek.
He entered the Law Faculty of the University of Thessaloniki
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is the largest Greek university, and the largest university in the Balkans. It was named after the philosopher Aristotle, who was born in Stageira, Chalcidice, about 55 km east of Thessaloniki, in Central Macedonia...
in 1946, and received his degree in 1950, after which he practiced law in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
. In 1954 he received his license to practice law after successfully completing the Bar examination
Bar examination
A bar examination is an examination conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction.-Brazil:...
. In November 1955, he was named Justice of the Peace. A year later, he became a magistrate of the Court of First Instance.
He was the unyielding prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
in the sensational case of the assassination of the left-wing member of parliament (and ‘doctor of the poor’) Grigoris Lambrakis, committed on 22 May 1963 in Thessaloniki by right-wing extremists. Lambrakis had called for Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
to disarm and withdraw from NATO. Over half a million people attended his funeral. In spite of obstruction of justice by his superiors, Sartzetakis doggedly pursued his investigation to the end. He succeeded in convicting the police officers involved in the murder; they were later rehabilitated by the military junta
Military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
.
The circumstances of the Lambrakis investigation was the theme of the well-known 1966 novel Z
Z (film)
Z is a 1969 French language political thriller directed by Costa Gavras, with a screenplay by Gavras and Jorge Semprún, based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Vassilis Vassilikos. The film presents a thinly fictionalized account of the events surrounding the assassination of democratic Greek...
, by Vassilis Vassilikos
Vassilis Vassilikos
-Biography:A native of the northern Greek island of Thasos, Vassilikos grew up in Thessaloniki, graduating from law school there before moving to Athens to work as a journalist....
and portrayed in the 1969 Costas Gavras film Z
Z (film)
Z is a 1969 French language political thriller directed by Costa Gavras, with a screenplay by Gavras and Jorge Semprún, based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Vassilis Vassilikos. The film presents a thinly fictionalized account of the events surrounding the assassination of democratic Greek...
.
After the Lambrakis prosecution, Sartzetakis left for Paris on a state-sponsored educational leave to study comparative law at the Faculté de Droit et des Sciences Économiques de Paris and Centre Universitaire des Études des Communautés Européennes. Immediately following the coup d'état
Greek military junta of 1967-1974
The Greek military junta of 1967–1974, alternatively "The Regime of the Colonels" , or in Greece "The Junta", and "The Seven Years" are terms used to refer to a series of right-wing military governments that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974...
of 21 April 1967 by George Papadopoulos
George Papadopoulos
Colonel Georgios Papadopoulos was the head of the military coup d'état that took place in Greece on 21 April 1967 and leader of the military government that ruled the country from 1967 to 1974. Papadopoulos was a Colonel of Artillery...
, he was called back to Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
by the military junta. Along with 29 other magistrates, he was discharged by a "Constitutional Act" from all his legal functions on 29 May 1968.
He was twice arrested, and imprisoned for almost a year until he was released on 19 November 1971 under mounting international pressure. He was tortured by the Greek military police
Greek Military Police
The Greek Military Police , generally known in English by the acronym ESA was the military police branch of the Greek Army in the years 1951-1974.. It developed into a powerful paramilitary organization and a stronghold of right-wing, conservative Army officers....
.
In September 1974, after the toppling of the dictatorship and the restoration of the democracy in Greece (metapolitefsi
Metapolitefsi
The Metapolitefsi was a period in Greek history after the fall of the Greek military junta of 1967–1974 that includes the transitional period from the fall of the dictatorship to the Greek legislative elections of 1974 and the democratic period immediately after these elections.The long...
), Sartzetakis was completely rehabilitated.
In the following years he became chairman of the Court of Appeal and finally, in October 1982, a member of the Court of Cassation (Greece)
Court of Cassation (Greece)
The Court of Cassation is the Supreme Court of Greece for civil and criminal law. The Court of Cassation's decisions are irrevocable. If the Court of Cassation concludes that a lower court violated the law or the principles of the procedure, then it can order the rehearing of the case by the lower...
. Sartzetakis became a fellow of several international legal societies. He also wrote several legal and political studies.
In March 1985, the government headed by prime minister
Andreas Papandreou
Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic...
Andreas Papandreou announced plans to reduce the powers of the presidency, and the governing party PASOK
Panhellenic Socialist Movement
The Panhellenic Socialist Movement , known mostly by its acronym PASOK , is one of the two major political parties in Greece. Founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou, in 1981 PASOK became Greece's first social democratic party to win a majority in parliament.The party is a socialist party...
refused to renew the term of Konstantinos Karamanlis. Karamanlis resigned, and Sartzetakis was elected by the parliament to a 5-year term as the fourth President of the Hellenic Republic (or fifth, including President pro tem Alevras). Holding no official political affiliation, Sartzetakis was the president of metapolitefsi
Metapolitefsi
The Metapolitefsi was a period in Greek history after the fall of the Greek military junta of 1967–1974 that includes the transitional period from the fall of the dictatorship to the Greek legislative elections of 1974 and the democratic period immediately after these elections.The long...
from 30 March 1985 to 4 May 1990.
Although Sartzetakis was viewed as a hero of the democracy and is thought highly by the Greek Left, he was actually always a conservative right-wing royalist. His zeal to uncover the facts behind the Lambrakis assassination was not based on his political views, but on his professionalism. He still attends many ceremonial events in Greece, including patriotic celebrations. Sartzetakis has been honored several times as doctor honoris causa and been given the highest decorations of many states. He is still widely known and respected for his integrity as a judge, and as a fighter for democracy.