Lesser convictions upheld in Bakari Henderson death
An appeals court in the western port city of Patra confirmed last Friday the same, lesser, convictions of intentional fatal bodily harm and fatal bodily harm for six defendants in the deadly beating of 22-year-old American Bakari Henderson on the island of Zakynthos in 2017.
The prosecutor in the three-month-long trial had sought to secure intentional homicide convictions but was overruled by a panel of judges and jury who sentenced the main and three other accused to 8 years in prison, reducing from an initial 10. Two more defendants retained the original sentences of 10 and 5 years in prison, respectively.
Henderson was beaten to death by Serb nationals in July 2017. The incident was captured on video as the 22-year-old was attacked by a mob outside a bar. Nine of the alleged attackers went on trial and six were found guilty of deadly assault, but not murder. A prosecutor then ordered an appeal.
The defence lawyers said they were satisfied with the verdict.
But Christos Kaklamanis, a lawyer representing Henderson’s family, said his family “would request, when that becomes feasible, that the Supreme Court revoke the decision.”
The case has atrracted the interest of US Vice President Kamala Harris who raised the issue of the trial with Premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis in March.
