Greek authorities order 105 soccer fans to be detained pending trial after fatal clash

All 105 soccer fans who are suspected of being involved in extensive clashes in the Greek capital, which resulted in the death of a 29-year-old AEK Athens supporter, have been ordered to be detained pending their trial, authorities announced on Sunday.

The detained fans were questioned by three examining magistrates and two prosecutors in batches, with 30 fans questioned on Friday, 40 on Saturday, and 35 on Sunday. Each day, the authorities decided whether or not to detain them pending trial. One suspect, who is currently hospitalized, gave a statement to a visiting magistrate while under guard.

The group of 105 fans consists of 102 Croat citizens and 3 Greeks, all of whom have denied any involvement in the fatal stabbing of Michalis Katsouris. Katsouris died from a stab wound, while 10 others were injured when Croatian supporters armed with wooden clubs and metal bats attacked bystanders outside AEK’s Opap Arena last Monday, according to the police.

The violence during the Champions League qualifier between AEK and Dinamo Zagreb resulted in the match being called off by UEFA, the governing body of soccer in Europe.

Authorities will now be able to search cellphone signals at the two locations of the clashes, outside AEK’s stadium and at a metro station, in order to determine if there were any additional individuals involved.

The prosecutors have charged all 105 fans with a series of offenses, totaling 11 charges. Four of the charges are considered felonies, including premeditated murder and membership of a criminal organization, while the remaining charges are misdemeanors.

The suspects will be dispersed among various prisons across the country.

On Wednesday morning, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin will meet with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. They will then hold a meeting with ministers, the head of Greece’s Football Federation, and the owners of the four largest soccer clubs in Greece – AEK, Olympiakos, Panathinaikos, and PAOK Thessaloniki.

Additionally, on the same day, the UEFA Super Cup final between Manchester City and Sevilla will take place at Olympiakos’ stadium near Piraeus.

(AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer)

About admin

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *