Legal Help for Prisoners in Greece

This page is for a foreigner held in a Greek prison, before trial or after conviction, and for the family abroad. It explains how pre-trial detention is reviewed, what early release and transfer to the home country involve, how a lawyer is appointed from outside Greece and what practical help the lawyer gives.
lawyers in Greece
2
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1
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About Legal Help for Prisoners in Greece

Legal help for prisoners in Greece is for a foreigner in prison or in pre-trial detention, προσωρινή κράτηση (prosorini kratisi), and for the relative abroad who is trying to find out what is happening. The person is a κρατούμενος (kratoumenos), a detainee or prisoner; the rules of detention are in the Prison Code (Σωφρονιστικός Κώδικας); the decisions that matter, release before trial, conditional release (υπό όρο απόλυση) after conviction, transfer between prisons (μεταγωγή) and transfer to the home country (μεταφορά καταδίκων), are taken by courts, councils and ministries that a prisoner cannot reach alone. Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Represent Incarcerated Person”. This page is information, not legal advice.

Who needs this

A person held after an arrest who does not yet have a lawyer of their own; a prisoner whose trial lawyer has finished the case; a family abroad who has heard only that a relative is in Korydallos or a provincial prison; a convicted person who wants to serve the sentence at home; and a prisoner with a health problem, a disciplinary matter or a transfer to a prison far from the family.

Before trial

Pre-trial detention is meant to be the last resort and must be reviewed; it is limited in time by law, and the defence can ask the council of judges to replace it with restrictive conditions such as surrender of the passport, bail or regular reporting. Foreigners without a settled address in Greece are detained more readily than residents, which is exactly why a lawyer who can show ties, an address and a surety matters. From the first day the person has the right to a lawyer and a state-paid interpreter and may ask that the consulate be told; the consulate visits and keeps the family informed, but does not provide a lawyer or intervene in the case.

After conviction

Conditional release becomes possible after a part of the sentence fixed by law, on the decision of a court council; good conduct, work in prison and a plan for release weigh in. A foreign national can ask to serve the rest of the sentence in the home country under the Council of Europe convention or a bilateral treaty; the request needs the consent of the prisoner and of both states and runs through the ministries, and documents from abroad are accepted in English, but the Greek side moves only when someone pushes the file. A conviction may also lead to expulsion or an entry ban after release, which has its own appeal.

What an English-speaking lawyer does

The lawyer visits the prisoner, explains the position in plain English, files applications for release or conditions, prepares the request for conditional release or transfer home, handles disciplinary hearings and complaints about treatment or medical care, applies for a transfer to a prison nearer the family, arranges a power of attorney so that affairs outside prison can be managed, and reports to the family regularly. A relative abroad appoints the lawyer through a power of attorney; a person held on another country's warrant is covered under extradition proceedings; after release a criminal record certificate is usually needed. More on criminal law in Greece.

Questions and answers

How can I appoint a lawyer for a relative from abroad?

By instructing one directly and sending a power of attorney, or by having the prisoner sign an authorisation in prison, which the lawyer arranges with the prison administration.

Can my relative be moved to a prison in our country?

If both countries are parties to the transfer convention or have a treaty, and the prisoner agrees, yes; the procedure is slow and depends on the sentence being final.

Can I send money or visit?

Yes, within the prison's rules on visits, parcels and deposits to the prisoner's account; the lawyer explains the rules of the particular prison and helps with the formalities.

2 lawyers who provide Legal Help for Prisoners in Greece

Sorted by experience in this service. Write to any of them — the reply comes from the lawyer, without obligation.

  • Despina, lawyer in Athens

    Despina

    Lawyer · Athens, Greece

    • 251 cases handled · 1 in this service
    • 18+ years in practice
    • Speaks: English, German, Greek
    • Law, Athens University of Law
    • 4.95(12 reviews)
    Contact Despina
  • Konstantinos, lawyer in Athens

    Konstantinos

    Lawyer · Athens, Greece

    • 28 cases handled
    • 11+ years in practice
    • Speaks: English, Greek
    • Degree in Law, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
    • 5.00(1 review)
    Contact Konstantinos
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  • A very helpful and empathetic lawyer and consultant, with excellent assistance. I will totally work with the lawyer again.
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    30 Nov 2022
  • The lawyer answered my queries the moment I sent them. She knows the Greek legal system extremely well and was a great help; on my own I could never have reached a conclusion I am completely satisfied with. Her command of English was excellent, close to bilingual though not quite. At all times she was friendly, approachable and professional, and she explained clearly what I had to do. I came to trust her completely.
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    19 Oct 2025
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    06 Aug 2026
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    21 Oct 2025
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    25 Feb 2025
  • The lawyer took real care to explain the process and how best to meet our requests, and she was very good at telling us the timelines and what to expect. She moved quickly to get our process completed, and the assistance could not have been better.
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    28 Mar 2024
    Criminal Record Check, Greece
  • The lawyer phoned me back promptly after my first enquiry and reassured me that she could get me a duplicate of my Greek marriage certificate, translated into English. Throughout the process she kept me posted, in flawless English, and was quick to answer my questions. The service was good value for the work involved, and I would not hesitate to use her again if the need ever arises.
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    20 Oct 2023