17N mastermind, hit man convicted
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Savas Xiros, left, and Dimitris Koufodinas were found guilty.
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ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- A Greek court has convicted 15 members of the terrorist group 17 November, including its mastermind and chief assassin.
After a nine-month trial, a three-judge court Monday found Alexandros Giotopoulos guilty of planning murders, including that of British attache Stephen Saunders.
The 58-year-old French-born academic steadfastly denied any links to the group.
Others convicted included Dimitris Koufodinas, considered the group's key hit man.
Anthee Carassava, a journalist in Athens, told CNN Giotopoulos showed no reaction when the verdicts were read out.
"The ringleader faced, as expected 900 charges, and was found guilty in almost all of those. It was surprising to see him in court remain almost blase.
"There was no reaction or response from him. There was no surprise -- it was expected to see him convicted, The question is what will be the sentence."
Nineteen people were charged in the anti-terrorism court. Four defendants, including the lone woman, were acquitted.
Prominent Greeks as well as Turkish and U.S. diplomats were also among 17 November's victims.
Saunders, 53, was shot four times by two assailants riding a motorcycle while travelling to work during the morning rush hour on the busy Kiffisias avenue in Athens. He died 3 1/2 hours later.
The brigadier was the last victim in 17 November's 28-year campaign of terror.
A proclamation from the group at the time said Saunders was killed because of Britain's role in the NATO attacks on Yugoslavia in 1999.
Sentencing of those found guilty is expected later this week, with many of those convicted facing multiple life sentences.
The group is blamed for dozens of armed robberies, hundreds of bombings and 23 killings since 1975, including the death of Richard Welch, the CIA station chief in Athens.
Police have long said that the 17 November terrorist group was believed to be a small, close-knit group.
The group is named after the date of a student uprising in 1973 against the military junta then ruling Greece.
Greek police have been anxious to break the 17 November terror group ahead of the 2004 summer Olympics in Athens.
