1.
GV Row of accused ZOOM IN TO CU Ioannides (2 shots)
0.08

2.
SV & CU Papadopoulos speaking to counsel, Makarezos and Pattakos (2 shots)
0.21

3.
SV Newsmen
0.24

4.
SCU (left to right) Papadopoulos PAN TO Makarezos and Pattakos PAN TO Counsel
0.38

5.
SV President of Court and judges entering and taking seats as Ioannides watches (3 shots)
0.56

6.
CU & SV Former Premier Kanellopoulos testifying to court & judge asking questions PAN TO Papadopoulos, Makarezos and Pattakos
1.17



Initials CL/1650 CL/1705



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Following the dramatic courtroom walk-out of defence lawyers in the trial of leaders of the former ruling Greek junta earlier in the week, proceedings resumed on Wednesday (30 July) with appearances by the first of 60-odd prosecution witnesses.

Facing the five judges in the Athens court are former President and Prime Minister George Papadopoulos and his two deputy premiers, Nicholas Makarezos and Stylianos Pattakos. They head the group of twenty former junta members -- including strongman major-General Demetrios Ioannides, who staged his own inner coup in November 1973 -- accused of high treason and insurrection ... charges which carry the death penalty. All have pleaded not guilty.

Mr. Papadopoulos and his two close associates have already assumed full responsibility in court for the Coup which brought the junta to power in April 1967 and established a seven-year military dictatorship in Greece. The trial is one of three scheduled to deal with officers and others accused of a number of crimes against the Greek people both during and after the dictatorship ended ... just over a year ago.

The parade of prosecution witnesses appearing before the court on Wednesday was headed by veteran politician Panayotis Kanellopoulos, She Greek Premier overthrown by the April 1967 coup. He told the judges of his arrest and attempts to advise the then ruling Greek monarch King Constantine. Mr. Kanellopoulos said that the King had accepted the results of the military coup in order to avoid bloodshed.

The trial -- in a security-tight prison hall -- has roused criticism from some Greeks who hance described it as an action of revenge by the civilian government against the former military rulers.