Greece: The sister of planespotter Antoni Adamiak, who is among the British group held in Greece on suspicion of spying following their arrest at an airshow, has spoken of her relief that he is to be freed on bail.

A panel of judges on Wednesday decided to release the group on about £9,000 bail each, to return at a later date to face a reduced misdemeanour charge of illegal information collection.

Antoni's sister Anna Skinner, of St John's Road, Epping, said she thought the bail would be paid by his family, and that he could be coming home today (Friday).

She was "hugely relieved" that he would coming home and hoped he would soon be able to get back to work in the computer section of a major bank in London.

But she added: "The fact that he's been charged with a misdemeanour, which I don't believe there's any evidence against him, is a huge concern."

Mr Adamiak, 37, from Isleworth, London, and 13 other British and Dutch planespotters, has been held in Greece on spying charges for over a month having been arrested while visiting an airshow during an organised trip.

Unhappy at the level of bail, Euro-MP Richard Howitt who has been campaigning for the group's release said: "The judges' decision represents absolute victory for these 12 people and their supporters who have maintained all along that they were not spies.

"Having met them in jail and spoken to their families I know just how intense the pressure has been and I'm just so so pleased for them that at last the wait is over.

"A key plank of the defence strategy was to arrive at the lesser offence of misdemeanour which basically just means they may have unwittingly broken a few local rules. The main aim was to get these people home in time for Christmas and we have achieved that.

"Next year when they return to court I'm absolutely confident the case will collapse and they will be cleared even on these charges.

"But in celebrating the news it's vital not to forget what has gone on over the past month the distress, discomfort and uncertainty which these people have suffered. Thousands of British tourists visit Greece every year and we must ensure that they can all feel completely safe in future."

Mr Howitt intends to meet the group when they return to the UK to offer any further support they might need. "There are undoubtedly major human rights issues involved. I will use the contacts I've been able to build up campaigning on this case to make sure these are tackled and never ever repeated.'

December 13, 2001 10:30