Suspect in deadly hooligan clashes released
The 43-year-old Panathinaikos fan who was arrested over his alleged involvement in the fatal clashes between supporters of rival soccer teams in Athens earlier this month was released from pretrial custody on Tuesday after appearing before an investigating magistrate.
According to state broadcaster ERT, there was a disagreement only on whether or not to impose conditions: the investigator favored a mandatory appearance once a month at a police station, while the prosecutor was opposed to any conditions. The disagreement will be resolved by a judicial council.
The suspect reportedly denied the charges, claiming that he was on vacation on the island of Kefalonia when the deadly clashes took place, on the eve of the Champions League qualifier between AEK and Dinamo Zagreb. He even provided evidence (tickets, toll receipts, card payments, etc.) to prove that from August 2 to 8 he was on holiday. His partner also testified, backing up his claims that they were together.
He was reportedly identified in security camera footage as one of the participants in the group of Croatian and Greek hooligans who attacked AEK fans outside their team’s stadium in the suburb of Nea Filadelfia, on August 7.
In a raid of his house, police seized metal baseball bats, helmets and other incriminating objects. The suspect faces numerous felony charges, including of forming a criminal organization and causing grievous bodily harm.
