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| - The families of several people killed by a far-left hitman in Greece urged him Monday to end his 52-day hunger strike, as the government accused him of "blackmail". Dimitris Koufodinas, formerly the top assassin for the defunct November 17 extremist group, is seeking a transfer from a high-security prison in central Greece to Korydallos prison in Athens to be near his family. His partner Angeliki Sotiropoulou has warned he is "borderline comatose" and doctors at a hospital in the city of Lamia, where he has been receiving intensive care for nearly a month, said his health had "seriously deteriorated". The relatives of Koufodinas' 11 victims on Monday urged him "to withdraw his demands and continue to live". "His death will not bring any of our loved ones back," they said in a joint statement. Koufodinas' supporters have staged several protests and vandalised ministers' offices in recent weeks. Some 3,000 people attended another protest in Athens on Monday, brandishing banners against the government. One accused the state of "murderous revanchism". Another cited a well-known quote from Bobby Sands, the Irish nationalist and member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army who died in 1981 after a 66-day hunger strike. "Our revenge will be the laughter of our children, 1981-2021," it read. Dozens of police have been stationed at Lamia hospital, and security has been reinforced around other potential targets, including police stations and the offices of politicians and magistrates. Government spokeswoman Aristotelia Peloni said Koufodinas was "requesting preferential treatment" and attempting to "blackmail" the authorities. "He chose to place his life in danger," Peloni told reporters. The dispute has split the Greek legal establishment. On Monday, over 40 judges and magistrates dismissed statement put out by their union, which urged authorities to "reconsider" their stance and take "all legal measures to protect his life and health". Hundreds of lawyers and intellectuals have signed petitions calling on judicial authorities to respect Koufodinas' rights. The main opposition leader, Alexis Tsipras, also called on the government to back down, warning that Koufodinas' life was "hanging by a thread". Prison authorities argue that only suspects in pre-trial detention, not long-term convicts, can be held at Korydallos. Dubbed 'Poison Hand' by Greek media, Koufodinas was the main hitman of the far-left Greek extremist organisation November 17 that was dismantled in 2002. He is serving multiple life sentences after being convicted of 11 killings. November 17 launched dozens of attacks between 1975 and 2000 that killed 23 people, including the CIA station chief in Athens, several prominent Greek businessmen, Turkish diplomats and a British military attache. mr-wv/jph/jv
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