October 20, 2023 – As part of the investigation into the fan riots in which a Greek football fan was killed, the results of the expert examination of two knives found at the scene have arrived. The Greek police claimed that one of them belonged to a Croatian fan, a member of the Bad Blue Boys group. The analysis showed otherwise, claims his lawyer.
As Index writes, the Greeks claimed that the Bad Blue Boys had a knife, but the analysis showed that there was no DNA on the knife. DNA of the murdered AEK fan was found on both knives. “They found other DNA on the knife, but not the DNA or fingerprints of my client, the Croat who the police claim possessed this knife. We have footage showing that he is not wearing gloves. Therefore, if the knife was his, it would have his fingerprints,” said Athanasios Kaymenakis.
On both knives, he points out, they found the DNA of the murdered Greek AEK fan Michalis Katsouris, as well as the DNA of other people.
What is Next?
Now all this needs to be further investigated.
“Now there is an additional questioning. They will bring everyone back to Athens for further questioning, all of them. After that second questioning, we will file individual applications for release on bail or parole,” the lawyer explained.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković expects that some of the fans will soon be released and return to Croatia. He is not surprised by the result of the DNA analysis in Greece.
“We exchange information constantly. So we were familiar with this fact from all the circumstances of the investigation two months ago,” he said.
Greece requests the extradition of more Bad BLue Boys
In addition to 102 Croats awaiting the outcome of the investigation in Greek prisons, the Greeks have issued a European arrest warrant for ten more in Croatia. For one of them in Zagreb, the court decided on Thursday that it will seek additional questions from Greece before it adopts any decision on extraditing the fans in question.
“We do not have any documents from which there would be a reasonable suspicion that our defendant or any other person whose extradition is sought has done something, and that is important. I believe that in this context, the court will obtain information – if we get that order, we can see more specifically what is this well-founded suspicion,” noted lawyer Aleksandra Horvat.
The procedure Terminated for one of the Members whose extradition was Requested by Greece
The court in Velika Gorica stopped the execution of the arrest warrant for another Croatian fan.
“Until further notice, my party will not be extradited, and the pre-trial detention has been lifted,” said lawyer Hrvoje Lukavec. This is a man who, as Lukavec said earlier, was not even in Greece, for which, as he stated, convincing evidence was presented to the court.
Furthermore, Croatian Minister of Justice Ivan Malenica and Minister of Foreign Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman appealed to their Greek colleagues last week to give the arrested Croats a fair trial and health care, but they have not received an answer to the letter to date.
