Seven Georgian suspects to testify in Hydra murder

Seven Georgian nationals implicated in the murder of a 67-year-old restaurant owner on the Saronic island of Hydra over the weekend were given additional time to prepare their defense after appearing before a prosecutor in Piraeus on Tuesday.

The suspects are to testify in two groups – on Thursday and Friday.

According to police sources, all seven suspects deny any involvement in the killing, claiming that they were on vacation in Hydra, even though authorities are said to have physical evidence: fingerprints from the scene of the crime and video footage showing them moving suspiciously around the victim’s home a few hours before the murder.

The suspects, who are being detained at Athens Police Headquarters, are alleged to have broken into the restaurant owner’s home early Sunday, tied him up and tortured him before fleeing with jewelry and cash, according to police.

A coroner’s report indicated that the 67-year-old had been suffocated and died of a heart attack.

His body was covered with bruises.