Greece's Supreme Court has upheld a damage award of 800,000 euros ($900,000) for the family of a student who was fatally shot while riding a motorcycle past an army camp.

The court's decision, made public on Tuesday, upheld a lower court ruling which the Greek government had appealed. The government argued the amount awarded was excessive.

The 22-year-old student died on July 25, 2000 from bullet wounds he received while riding at night past the Skaramangas army camp west of Athens.

A junior officer was convicted of firing the rounds while investigating reports of suspicious whistling near the camp's perimeter fence. He received a 13-year prison sentence.

The motorcycle was on a highway 170 meters (yards) away from the fence when the student was hit.