Two police officers charged in relation with the murder of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos have appeared on trial in the small Greek town of Amfissa.

More than 400 police arrived this week for the hearing, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Athens.

The beginning of the trial was postponed after a request from the defendants' lawyers when proceedings opened on Wednesday.

Grigoropoulos died in Athens in December 2008, following an argument between officers and a group of youths. The officers claim that a warning shot was fired when they came under attack, and that the youth was hit by a stray bullet.

Victim's mother to testify

Among the first people who were expected to testify was the mother of the victim Gina Tsakalain. She has called for the trial to be moved to Athens.

Authorities decided to hold the trial outside Athens to avoid a repeat of mass protests that turned violent as a result of the death. They feared that violence would be started by anarchists if it were held in the capital.

There were fierce riots within hours of the teenager's shooting and protests spread across Europe. Clashes with the police in Athens were repeated on the anniversary of Grigoropoulos' death last month.

Leftist and anarchist groups have mounted attacks on public buildings and businesses in the weeks leading up to the trial. A bomb exploded outside the Greek Ministry of Press and Information last weekend, causing no injuries. A group calling itself December 6, the date of Grigoropoulos' death, claimed responsibility.

rc/dpa/AFP/AP
Editor: Rob Turner