ATHENS, Greece: Greece will tighten laws on illegal gun possession to curb gun violence, said Citizen Protection Minister, Michalis Chrysochoidis, on Friday, reported Xinhua.
Penalties for illegal firearm possession will be increased, with even harsher sentences for repeat offenders, under a draft bill to be submitted to Parliament in the coming days.
The legislation will also impose stricter rules for issuing legal gun permits, including those for sport shooting.
Chrysochoidis announced the measures during a press conference on Crete, days after a gunfight between two feuding families near Heraklion left two people dead following a land dispute.
Illegal gun ownership has long been common on Crete, where fatalities often result from both celebratory gunfire and clashes involving local crime groups.
Despite this, the island remains one of Greece’s safest regions, accounting for just two per cent of national thefts, the minister said. – BERNAMA-Xinhua
