Tempi trial: prosecutor's motion on stationmaster's phone

The trial for the Tempi railway tragedy continued on Monday 14 September 2026 at the Larissa Court of Appeal, with a new hearing before the court. At the centre of the proceedings was the prosecutor’s submission on a request concerning the examination of the seized mobile phone of the accused station master. The court was expected to rule on this request before proceeding with the testimony of witnesses, according to the scheduling of the hearing. The case concerns one of the most high-profile trials in recent Greek history, as recorded in the relevant court reporting, and is being closely followed by journalists, relatives of victims and citizens throughout the country. The hall of the Court of Appeal remained full throughout the duration of the hearing, while security measures around the building were also heightened.

A total of 36 people are accused in the trial, serving and former officials and employees associated with OSE, ERGOSE, Hellenic Train, the Railway Regulatory Authority (RAS) and the Ministry of Transport. The judicial process examines the responsibilities surrounding the railway disaster in Tempi in 2023, in which 57 people lost their lives, mostly young people who were on board the train that night. The case remains one of the most high-profile judicial proceedings in the country, with the hearings attracting sustained public interest and extensive media coverage at national level. The Monday hearing is part of a long series of hearings that include both legal matters, such as requests for investigation of evidence, and testimony from witnesses and relatives of victims—a process that is expected to continue for several more months before the court reaches a final judgment on all the accused.

The request to examine the station master’s mobile phone concerns incoming and outgoing calls, messages on the phone and on Viber, as well as examination of the memory card and SIM card of the device. Possible approval of the request could add new elements to the case file, without this prejudging the outcome of the trial for the accused station master, who maintains the presumption of innocence until a final judgment is delivered. On the same day, relatives of victims of the disaster gave testimony, while the testimony of a surviving female passenger was also scheduled, whose identity is not revealed for reasons of protection of her privacy. The judicial process is conducted with respect for the presumption of innocence for all the accused, until a final judgment is delivered by the court, as provided by law in every criminal trial in accordance with the legislation.

The court is expected to announce its ruling on the request to examine the mobile phone before proceeding with testimony in subsequent sessions of the Larissa Court of Appeal. The process will continue with further hearings, in which other witnesses and relatives of victims are expected to be called, as the case file remains open to new evidence that may emerge from the examination of the device. For other legal and social issues concerning the country, readers can be kept informed from the relevant society section of the network. The progress of the trial is being closely followed both by the families of the victims and by the public, as the next hearings are expected to shed more light on the causes of the tragedy and the possible responsibilities of the accused, though the outcome of the case has not been prejudged.