A new political dimension is acquired by the case of the death of Giorgos Mazonakis, following documents released by PASOK regarding the relationship between the Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, and the two doctors accused in the case, Ilias Theodoropoulos and Ioanna Gaka.
The two doctors have been remanded in custody following their testimonies and face a grave charge within the framework of the judicial investigation. They deny the charges and their criminal liability has not been adjudicated.
The political issue arising, however, is different: it concerns when and under what circumstances Thanos Plevris met the two doctors.
What Plevris had stated
On September 14, speaking on Action24, Thanos Plevris referred to his acquaintance with Ilias Theodoropoulos.
His public account linked their acquaintance to the serious health ordeal he had undergone in 2016. As he said, following the health problem his blood parameters presented complications and he had consulted a series of doctors, among them Ilias Theodoropoulos.
The minister maintained that the doctor did not recommend medical treatment to him, but dietary guidelines and commercially available preparations. Regarding Ioanna Gaka, it had been mentioned that he knew her as the spouse of Ilias Theodoropoulos.
Two days later, Thanos Plevris returned to the matter, saying that he had maintained contact with Ilias Theodoropoulos and that, when he learned of the death of Giorgos Mazonakis, he attempted to phone him to find out what had occurred.
According to him, the doctor did not answer initially and later returned his call, stating that he did not wish to discuss it.
Up to that point, the picture formed publicly was specific: an acquaintance connected with the health ordeal of Thanos Plevris and subsequent communication.
And then 2012 appears
On September 18, PASOK brought to light documents which, provided they fully reflect the specific relationship, push the acquaintance back at least four years earlier.
According to the announcement from Charilaou Trikoupi, Thanos Plevris, Ilias Theodoropoulos, and Ioanna Gaka already appear in 2012 among the founding members of the association under the name «Hellenic Medico-Legal Council».
PASOK argues indeed that the three of them were among the five members of the interim administration and that they participated in the application to the Single-Member Court of First Instance of Athens for the ratification of the association's statutes, which bore the date of June 3, 2012.
This is the point that generates the political question.
It is not merely a chance encounter at a social event or an acquaintance that can easily be forgotten. According to the documents cited by PASOK, there was participation of the same individuals in an organized process of establishing an association and in its interim board of directors.
The contradiction demanding an answer
Here lies the essence.
Thanos Plevris stated publicly that he met the specific doctor through his health ordeal, which he placed in 2016. The evidence presented by PASOK demonstrates, according to the opposition, that joint activity existed as early as 2012.
The timeline
2012: According to documents released by PASOK, Thanos Plevris, Ilias Theodoropoulos, and Ioanna Gaka participate in the «Hellenic Medico-Legal Council» and appear on its interim board of directors.
2016: Thanos Plevris undergoes a serious health ordeal. In subsequent statements, he mentions that he then consulted Ilias Theodoropoulos regarding his blood parameters.
September 14, 2026: The minister speaks publicly about the acquaintance and connects it to his health ordeal.
September 16: He clarifies that he had maintained contact with the doctor and confirms that he phoned him following the death of Giorgos Mazonakis.
The announcement by PASOK
From the first days of the high-profile case of the death of Giorgos Mazonakis in a clinic allegedly performing illegal medical acts, the Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, had rushed to state that he knew the two accused doctors when, following a personal health problem, he had sought dietary advice. Since then (as he stated publicly) he had maintained communication, and on the day of the tragic event he sought the doctor by phone to find out what had happened.
Yet, as is proven, their acquaintance is much earlier, when in 2012, together with the doctor couple, he was among the founding members of the association «Hellenic Medico-Legal Council». In fact, Thanos Plevris appears to be, along with the two accused, three of the five members of the interim administration who jointly petitioned the Single-Member Court of First Instance of Athens for the ratification of the association's statutes dated June 3, 2012.
The minister must clarify why he lied about the date of his acquaintance with them and whether he was aware that the two doctors were performing illegal medical acts.
The case is very serious and the questions arising demand answers.
New Left demands resignation of Plevris
Serious questions regarding the relationship between the Minister of Migration and Asylum Thanos Plevris and the doctors Ilias Theodoropoulos and Ioanna Gaka are posed by New Left, following new information brought to light in the context of the case of the death of Giorgos Mazonakis.
According to the announcement by New Left, Thanos Plevris had participated as early as 2012, together with Ilias Theodoropoulos and Ioanna Gaka, in the founding of the association «Hellenic Medico-Legal Council». This information raises questions in relation to recent statements by the minister, according to which his acquaintance with Ilias Theodoropoulos was connected to his health ordeal in 2016.
Thanos Plevris himself has stated that he consulted Ilias Theodoropoulos following the health problem he faced in 2016 and that the doctor had suggested dietary guidelines to him, without proposing medical treatment or plasmapheresis.
Prompted by the new revelations, New Left demands answers from the minister regarding the scope and duration of his relationship with the specific couple of doctors, and especially regarding his role in the «Hellenic Medico-Legal Council».
New Left poses specific questions:
Did he know that the specific doctors were proceeding with illegal medical acts that endangered the lives of patients?
As the specific individuals were connected to charlatans and hypnotherapists, what scientific credentials did Thanos Plevris assess as sufficient in order to co-found with them an association concerning Medical Law?
What was the fate of the specific association, of which he was a founding member and a member of its administration?
New Left argues that, regardless of the development of the judicial investigation, the minister is obligated to provide immediately complete and specific answers regarding his relationship with the two doctors, his participation in the specific association, and his statements concerning the time at which he met them.
According to New Left, these answers are also necessary for the political responsibility of the government, as Thanos Plevris is today Minister of Migration and Asylum, while in the past he served as Minister of Health.
The announcement by New Left concludes by demanding the immediate assumption of political responsibility by Thanos Plevris, arguing that the contradictions arising, in its view, from his public statements make his resignation necessary.
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