Two men, aged 27 and 19, have been placed in pretrial detention in connection with a major wildfire in the Sychaina area near Patra, Western Greece.
They were ordered jailed after testifying before a judge and prosecutor. The men are charged with multiple counts of arson in forested and non-forested land, allegedly acting together.
Police investigators from the Greek Crime Investigation Department used a combination of cell tower data, video footage, photographs and eyewitness accounts to locate and arrest the suspects. Authorities said the evidence was collected rapidly and compiled into a complete case file before referral to the judiciary.
A third suspect, 25, was scheduled to testify Monday in connection with a separate fire in the Girikomeio area. He was arrested Wednesday, shortly after the fire started. Authorities said they have photographs showing him at the ignition point moments before the fire began.
The cases are being prosecuted under Greece’s revised penal code, Law 5090 of 2024, which significantly increases penalties for arson.
Intentional forest arson is now classified as a major felony, punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison, fines of up to 200,000 euros and confiscation of property. If a fire causes deaths, the sentence is life imprisonment, with parole possible after 18 years.
Previously, under the 2019 penal code, arson was often treated as a misdemeanor with suspended sentences. Under the 2024 code, all prison sentences for arson must be served in full and cannot be suspended or converted, and appeals do not delay enforcement.