Some of the defendants for the bloody events in New Philadelphia and the murder of 29-year-old Michalis Katsouris were notified of the decision of the Investigator and Prosecutor for their pre-trial detention.

It is, according to information, a Greek, an Albanian and four Croats.

The defendants seem to deny during their apologies their participation in the wild incidents outside the AEK stadium as well as any involvement in the fatal injury of Michalis Katsouris.

According to the statement of the criminologist Alexis Kougia, who represents the Greek defendant, there is a video in the case file that shows only one perpetrator and the victim who appears to receive the fatal stabbing from behind.

The defendants’ position is reflected in the allegations they allegedly make.

Characteristically, one of them states:

“We had gone to the OPAP ARENA Hagia Sofia to watch our team DINAMO ZAGREB train the day before the match against AEK, for which we had not secured tickets following the UEFA ban and unexpectedly found ourselves involved in widespread, violent incidents and deviations that took place for at least half an hour, without the timely intervention of the police authority».

The accused claims that they ran because they were afraid of being arrested: “The police forces followed us and scared by the tension and the smoke bombs thrown by Greek fans, they finally immobilized us and then arrested us“, he says characteristically.

Regarding the murderous attack on Michalis, he states:

“I am not in a position to know because of the distance who really hit the unfortunate Michalis Katsouris with a sharp object, a knife, a heinous act, for which we are deeply sorry».

Another defendant, originally from Albania, appears to claim he was in New Philadelphia for work on Monday night. The defendant in whose possession the authorities found a folding knife states in a memorandum that: “I’m an electrician. On 7/8/2023, I was in the New Philadelphia area for work. I finished work late. I had made an appointment with my girlfriend at ISAP “PERISSOS” station to continue by train towards Piraeus, with the aim of reaching Galatsi. My girlfriend came for a week from Andros».

The defendant in question, who is being investigated for possible involvement in the murder, maintains that he went to the scene of the incident, after the shouts and flares, which he saw being hurled around the stadium, and that he did not participate in the incident.

He also justifies the knife he had as necessary for his job. “I am not an organized fan of PAO, I am a simple sports fan. I go to the stadium, with my father and my brother, whenever I can find cheap tickets. I want my communications to be declassified, my cell phone checked and a DNA sample taken to prove that I have nothing to do with what they are accusing me ofhe says.

Another defendant, a 27-year-old Greek, known to the authorities, whose store in Ampelokipi was attacked yesterday by AEK fans, said a passer-by at the scene, stressing that:I have nothing to do with what happened in the New Philadelphia area between the criminal Croats, who came to Greece, to kill and destroy property, and the thug organized AEK fans, who had a murderous rendezvous with the criminal Croats and were similarly armed with knives, crowbars, wooden bats and other dangerous weapons, as can be seen from the videos, which were seized and entered into the file by ELAS. On the day in question, during the afternoon hours, I visited the store in the area of ​​Nea Ionia, Attica, together with my fiancee and the potential partner in our new business venture, in order to supervise the facilities of the business in question, and then I met with an acquaintance of mine at his home in the area of ​​Nea Ionia, to check the condition of the motorcycle he had for sale and I had expressed an interest in buying it».

And he claims that he went to the scene because he heard banging and went to see what was happening. “…I left fearing for my physical integrity, and headed to Perissos station moving along Papanastasiou street and at that moment they happened to be moving there… I was in the wrong place at the wrong time!” argues the accused, also under investigation for the murder.

“My entire involvement in the case in question and my subsequent arrest is based, as appears from the police report, on the fact that I am an organized fan of Panathinaikos and on the arbitrary and false testimony of a young police officer of the EL.AS Action Team, X .F, whoever saw me walking in a street near the place where the New Philadelphia incidents took place».

In fact, he bases his innocence on the fact that he was arrested by the men of the Action group on a street that he would not have chosen if he tried to hide, but also on his physique, as he claims due to his height, he would have been clearly visible in the videos that the prosecutors have in their hands authorities.

APE-SKAIGR