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N17 assassin returns to prison after 2-day furlough

Greek authorities breathed a sigh of relief on Saturday morning when a notorious urban terrorist granted a two-day furlough on Thursday returned to the Athens-area penitentiary where he’s been incarcerated since 2003.

Dimitris Koufontinas (Koufodinas) returned to the Korydallos prison at 10.30 a.m. (08.30GMT), an hour and a half before his 48-hour furlough expired. He was accompanied by his wife and son.

His first-ever furlough generated a firestorm of criticism, including condemnation by the US, UK and Turkey, countries that had military and diplomatic personnel assassinated in Greece by Koufontinas’ ultra-leftist “November 17” terror gang. Family members of the terrorist group’s victims also railed against the decision to release, even on a temporary basis, the erstwhile beekeeper. He was convicted of 11 murders and handed down a same-number of life sentences, plus 25 years.