Israel protested yesterday against an indefinite postponement granted by a Greek Court in the murder trial of two Arab terrorists who fatally attacked an El Al airliner at Athens Airport on Dec. 26, 1968. The postponement was granted by a three judge panel at the request of defense counsel after 12 of the 28 witnesses called were absent from the trial’s opening. Israel’s diplomatic envoy here, Yaakov Carol, called at the Foreign Ministry to protest. He noted that at least three of the absent prosecution witnesses were Greek state employes. Mr. Carol also pointed out that the Greek Consuls in Beirut and Amman had served summonses on three Arab defense witnesses two days after expiration of the legal time limit. The defendants are Mahmoud Melamed, a 26 year-old teacher and Maher Superman, a 20-year-old student. They claim membership in the Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. They have been charged with murder in the death of Leona Sheridan, a 50 year-old Israeli marine engineer who was a passenger aboard the El Al plane. The defendants machine gunned the aircraft as it was preparing to take off for New York. Mr. Caroz said the delay in their trial would only encourage other Arab terrorist attacks on Greek soil.
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