Three nearly simultaneous arson attacks targeting three former officials of Greece’s ruling New Democracy party were carried out in the early hours of Wednesday (01/07) across different neighborhoods of Thessaloniki, sending shockwaves through the city. The attacks occurred within a window of less than 20 minutes, putting authorities on high alert.
The most serious of the three attacks took place in the Charilaou neighborhood — the third strike in the sequence — where fire broke out among parked cars and motorcycles. The blaze caused extensive damage to the vehicles, with lesser damage to the motorcycles. A total of five people were injured as a result of the gas canisters detonated at the home of Afroditi Nestora.
Thessaloniki rocked by coordinated arson attacks on New Democracy officials
Nestora herself sustained burns, her mother was hospitalized on a ventilator with serious burns, and the remaining three individuals suffered respiratory problems. All five were transferred to Hippokration General Hospital.
The first incident occurred at approximately 4:20 a.m. in the Pylea area, where unknown perpetrators detonated an improvised incendiary device using a gas canister at the entrance of an apartment building owned by Zisis Ioakimovits, President of the New Democracy Governing Committee of Thessaloniki. Five minutes later, a second attack struck in the Toumba neighborhood. An improvised incendiary device exploded at the entrance of an apartment building where former New Democracy MP for Thessaloniki B’, Savvas Anastasiadis, resides. The blast caused damage to the building’s entrance, but no injuries were reported.
Anastasiadis on the attack at his home: “It had happened before — they used paint back then”
Speaking on Wednesday morning (01/07) to Action24, Savvas Anastasiadis — the former New Democracy MP whose home was targeted — said: “I was away from my Thessaloniki home. From what I was told, gas canisters were placed there at around 3 in the morning. The glass panels at the entrance have been shattered and there was some fire damage.” He added: “There are security cameras. From what I’m being told, one individual entered from the forest area and left the canisters. We hope they will be identified at some point. These were simultaneous strikes. I can’t make sense of the attack on my building. Something similar happened before, but with paint. Obviously the police will do their job. We’d also had a car theft in the past.”
Marinakis: “When you plant gas canisters, you intend to kill”
Government spokesman and Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister Pavlos Marinakis swiftly condemned the incidents. Speaking on SKAI television, Marinakis noted that three attacks using improvised explosive devices were recorded within approximately one hour, stressing that these were extremely serious incidents. “There are no words. Within one hour, three murderous attacks were carried out on the homes of New Democracy officials. Murderous attacks — with gas canisters, not leaflets,” he said pointedly. “When you plant gas canisters, an explosive device, you intend to kill,” he added.
The government spokesman further noted that the perpetrators had deliberately targeted individuals who are politically active and voluntarily support their party, stressing that the attacks cannot be dismissed as mere acts of property damage. He also confirmed that law enforcement authorities have launched an extensive investigation to identify those responsible, describing the acts as “serious felonies” and noting that a manhunt is currently underway.
Shortly before, Zisis Ioakimovits, President of the New Democracy Governing Committee of Thessaloniki, spoke to Parapolitika 90.1 about the arson attack on his home and the broader wave of fire-bombings that struck the residences of New Democracy officials in Thessaloniki in the early hours of Wednesday (01/07), leaving three people injured.
Ioakimovits: “Fortunately, we only had material damage to the ground floor”
Speaking in detail on the programme hosted by Sotiris Xenakis and Vasilis Skouris, Zisis Ioakimovits began: “It was around 4:15–4:30 when we heard a loud bang. I immediately went out onto the balcony, saw the smoke, and realized it was a gas canister. Fortunately, we only had material damage to the ground floor. A neighbor friend lives in my building, and we didn’t have any further tragedy — unlike what happened in Mrs. Nestora’s case.”
He went on to describe the attack on Afroditi Nestora’s home: “There, because it apparently had an open ground-floor parking area, they placed the gas canisters, the cars caught fire, and Afroditi came downstairs with her mother and father to see the fire. Her mother is on a ventilator with severe burns at Hippokration, but is in stable condition. Afroditi has some burns on her hands and is on an oxygen mask. Her father has respiratory issues and is in the pulmonology ward.”
Ioakimovits also addressed the case of Savvas Anastasiadis, noting that he was out of the city at the time. Gas canisters had been placed under his apartment building as well, resulting in material damage only. He noted that a similar incident had occurred in the past, stating: “Three years ago, both my building and Anastasiadis’ building were attacked with red and black paint, at the beginning of July. To this day, no one has claimed responsibility, according to the Counter-Terrorism Unit.”
“I had received no threats in the past”
When asked by journalists whether he had received any prior threats, Ioakimovits replied: “I had received no threats whatsoever in the past. I believe it is the institution itself that bothers them — the role of party chairman, MP, or political candidate — in the eyes of people who belong to the anti-establishment sphere.”
Kyranakis calls it “a full-blown terrorist attack”
“The people of New Democracy will not be intimidated,” declared Konstantinos Kyranakis, Secretary of the New Democracy Political Committee, in a statement responding to the gas canister attacks on the homes of party officials Zisis Ioakimovits, Savvas Anastasiadis, and Afroditi Nestora. “This was a full-blown terrorist attack,” he stated, adding that the perpetrators “intended to kill.”
The full statement by Konstantinos Kyranakis:
“The people of New Democracy will not be intimidated. This was not vandalism. This was not mere ‘interference.’ This was a full-blown terrorist attack on the homes of New Democracy officials Zisis Ioakimovits, Savvas Anastasiadis, and Afroditi Nestora and their families. And those who carried it out intended to kill.
We wholeheartedly wish the injured a swift and full recovery as they fight for their lives in intensive care units at this very moment. Those who continue to respond to such criminal acts with half-measures, false equivalences, or silence are providing support to terrorists. Everyone must come to terms with this.
Those who have spent years cultivating a culture of tolerance toward political violence must reflect on their responsibilities.
We have full confidence that the Hellenic Police will swiftly identify the perpetrators.
The people of New Democracy will not be intimidated. Every such attack achieves precisely the opposite result. It rallies us even more strongly against those who believe that violence and terrorism can silence the ideas, principles, and values of our political movement.”
