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Afghan Man Accused of Murdering British Woman in Athens Denies Guilt
🇬🇷 Greece /Crime & Justice

Afghan Man Accused of Murdering British Woman in Athens Denies Guilt

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • An Afghan man accused of murdering a British woman in Athens has been denied bail and requested more time to prepare his defense.
  • The suspect claims he found the victim dead and panicked, moving her body to conceal the discovery.
  • His wife's testimony, revealing his whereabouts on the night of the murder, was crucial in the investigation.

An Afghan man accused of murdering 38-year-old British woman Elizabeth Jane Ross in Athens has been remanded in custody. Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, appeared before an investigating judge and requested until Thursday, August 6, to present his defense. He faces charges including intentional homicide, robbery, and weapons offenses.

He requested and received a deadline from the investigating judge to present his defense on Thursday (06/08).

— Court ReportThe suspect was granted additional time to prepare his plea.

Ahmadzai denies murdering Ross, asserting instead that he discovered her dead in her apartment's bathroom. He claims that in a state of panic, he decided to move her body. The victim's body was found in a suitcase in an abandoned building in Kypseli on July 18.

The investigation reportedly gained a significant breakthrough following testimony from Ahmadzai's wife. She became suspicious of his behavior and contacted the authorities. Location tracking data revealed that her husband was at Ross's apartment on the night of July 15, while she was away from home.

He denies the charge of homicide, claiming he found the woman dead in her apartment's bathroom and, in a state of panic, decided to move the body.

— Suspect's DefenseAhmadzai's account of discovering the victim and his subsequent actions.

Following the discovery of the body, the wife left their home with their child and informed the police. Investigators are also examining the relationship between Ahmadzai and Ross. Evidence suggests they met through their involvement in humanitarian aid work. Ahmadzai and his wife founded the Christian organization 'Love Every Nation Athens,' which supports refugees and migrants. Ross also collaborated with humanitarian and Christian groups, and reportedly knew the couple through this activity. The apartment where Ross lived belonged to the organization, and both Ahmadzai and his wife allegedly possessed keys.

The testimony of the wife, which brought about reversals in the case, played a decisive role in the progress of the investigation.

— Investigation ReportThe wife's statement provided crucial information to the authorities.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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