A Thessaloniki Court of Appeals on Tuesday handed down guilty verdicts and suspended prison sentences ranging from 15 to 39 months on eight police officers found guilty of severely beating up 26-year-old Cypriot student Avgoustinos Dimitriou two years ago.

The bloody incident was recorded during a march in Thessaloniki commemorating the 33^rd anniversary of the Polytechnic School uprising against the junta of the colonels. Police maintained that Dimitriou sustained his injuries when he tripped and fell against a scooter and a large flower pot. However, footage showed that officers had hit and kicked the student when he was on the ground. 

Dozens of young protesters demonstrated outside the court building and chanted slogans against police as soon as the court ruling was out. They were dispersed by riot police.

Caption: Police use tear gas to disperse demonstrators gathered outside a Thessaloniki courthouse on Tuesday, protesting against the relatively light sentences handed down to eight police officers found guilty of beating up a Cypriot student at a march in 2006. ANA-MPA - N. Arvanitidis.