Piraeus: courts evacuated following bomb threat

The Piraeus Courts were evacuated on the morning of Thursday 24 September 2026, following a telephone threat of bomb placement in the building, according to a report by Naftemporiki. The relevant call was detected around 11:56, and the competent authorities immediately proceeded with the removal of those inside the building as a precautionary safety measure. Judges, lawyers, employees and citizens who were inside the judicial building at that time were called to leave immediately from the premises, according to the same report. The incident occurred on a working day, at a time when the judicial building was operating normally and hosting scheduled hearings, meaning that the evacuation affected a larger number of people compared to other hours of the day.

To the scene rushed the Explosives Disposal Team (TEEM) of the police, which conducted a thorough inspection of all floors and spaces of the judicial building, courtroom after courtroom, as is customary in such incidents. In parallel, the roads around the courts were closed to traffic for the duration of the operation, with police forces directing vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the wider downtown Piraeus area, to ensure the safe conduct of the inspection. The police, according to the report, ensured that the removal of those present was carried out in an orderly manner, avoiding panic phenomena during the exit from the building.

Such threats, when concerning public buildings like courts, always activate the same safety protocol, regardless of the initial credibility of the call: immediate evacuation, detailed inspection by specialized personnel and temporary blocking of the area until the investigation is completed. For Piraeus, where the judicial building is located at a densely populated and commercial point in the city, such an operation means temporary disruption of court operations, delays in scheduled trials and disruption to the daily life of the neighborhood for the duration of the inspection. Similar threat incidents at public buildings have been recorded from time to time at other locations in Attica, each time causing corresponding mobilization of the authorities.

After completion of the investigation, the TEEA did not find any explosive device in the building, and police ultimately treated the phone call as a false alarm. The roads around the courts were returned to traffic after the blockade was lifted, and the operation of the judicial building returned to normal. It has not been publicly disclosed whether the authorities are investigating the origin of the call or whether the person who made it has been identified. The case remains open as to any follow-up given by the competent authorities to the matter of the threat, as false reports of this kind can bring criminal liability for whoever is found responsible. The Piraeus judicial building, as one of the largest judicial complexes in the country outside Athens, serves daily a large number of citizens, lawyers and judicial officials, a factor that makes any disruption to its operation particularly felt for the local community.