Riot at Korydallos prison brought under control

A riot at maximum security Korydallos Prison in Athens on Friday morning has been brought under control, according to authorities.

Officers of the police’s special forces unit (EKAM) and guards were called in to deal with the incident which occurred after the grandmother of a Georgian inmate was arrested while trying to smuggle a large quantity of drugs into the facility.

A group of about 25 inmates, also from Georgia, reacted to the arrest by taking over the prison clinic. The situation escalated into a riot and, according to some reports, three guards were taken hostage by the protesting inmates. Prison authorities said the crisis was resolved after negotiations with the inmates.

There were reports of light injuries and some damage was caused.