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From the Taliban to Athens and Christianity: The journey of the Afghan boxer who killed the British woman in Kypseli
🇬🇷 Greece /Crime & Justice

From the Taliban to Athens and Christianity: The journey of the Afghan boxer who killed the British woman in Kypseli

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Under investigation
  • A 26-year-old Afghan boxer, Sharif Ahmandzai, is accused of murdering a 38-year-old British woman, Elizabeth-Jane Ross, in Athens.
  • Security footage shows Ahmandzai moving a large suitcase, believed to contain the victim's body, to an abandoned building.
  • Ahmandzai, who converted to Christianity and co-founded a refugee aid organization, arrived in Greece in 2016 and has a past documented in a book and animated video.

A new development has emerged in the murder case of 38-year-old British woman Elizabeth-Jane Ross in Athens, with security camera footage revealing the suspect, 26-year-old Afghan professional boxer Sharif Ahmandzai, transporting a large suitcase believed to contain her body.

The footage shows Ahmandzai dragging a large black suitcase and carrying a blue backpack through the streets of Athens. Authorities allege he then took the suitcase to an abandoned building in the Kypseli area, where he is believed to have left the victim's remains. Approximately 13 minutes later, he is seen leaving the location without the suitcase or backpack.

Ahmandzai's past reveals a complex journey. According to the Daily Mail, he arrived in Lesbos in 2016, converted to Christianity, and married Alaina Hall in 2023. Together, they founded "Love Every Nation Athens," an organization providing aid to refugees in the city. Ross, who also volunteered with Christian initiatives, reportedly knew the couple through their shared charitable work. Police sources indicate that Ross's apartment, where she resided, belonged to the couple's organization, granting them access.

The issue is not being discussed in Lebanon.

— Informed ministerial sourcesRegarding the lack of internal Lebanese discussion on Hezbollah's weapons.

Police began investigating Ahmandzai after his wife reported suspicious behavior on July 30. She stated that on the night of July 15, she awoke to find her husband missing. A location tracking app showed he was at Ross's apartment. Ahmandzai reportedly told authorities he found Ross dead in her bathroom. He is also accused of using her bank cards for withdrawals and her mobile phone to send messages to relatives and friends, impersonating her.

His wife became suspicious when Ross's body was found. She left their home with their baby and stayed at a hotel. Ahmandzai allegedly gave her money and a new phone, but she refused them, believing they were purchased with Ross's funds, and handed them over to the police. A search of Ahmandzai's home on August 1 uncovered a replica Glock pistol and a black military-style knife. Ahmandzai is a professional super-lightweight boxer with a documented past, including a book and animated video detailing his life from Afghanistan, where his father was killed by the Taliban and his brother was abducted.

The agreement was a failure so long as Isra

— Hassan KhalilMP from Amal's Development and Liberation bloc commenting on the framework agreement.
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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