Court clears suspects of 2012 attack on German envoy

A Thessaloniki misdemeanors court on Friday cleared two municipal employees and a local school teacher, for a second time, over a protest in the northern port city in November 2012 that turned ugly when demonstrators pelted the then German Consul Wolfgang Hoelsche-Obermaier with styrofoam cups of coffee and plastic bottles of water.

A court of first instance had cleared the three men of the charges of disturbing the peace and violent action. But a prosecutor appealed the decision, prompting a new trial. In their testimonies, all three men denied any attempt to assault the former consul. They said they had merely attended a demonstration in the city to protest planned layoffs in the civil service.