Three men, two Pakistani nationals and an Iraqi, are being held for the armed robbery of a couple 10 days ago at a popular sightseeing spot directly across from the Acropolis in central Athens, an incident that left a 25-year-old Greek man dead after a fall from a 20-meter rock formation.
Three men, two Pakistani nationals and an Iraqi, are being held for the armed robbery of a couple 10 days ago at a popular sightseeing spot directly across from the Acropolis in central Athens, an incident that left a 25-year-old Greek man dead after a fall from a 20-meter rock formation.
The late-night incident generated a wave of reactions, as it was the first reported fatality linked with the presence of gangs targeting tourists and pedestrians thronging around the Acropolis, especially during the night-time hours.
Pine- and scrub-covered Philopappou (Filopappou) Hill, where the victim, a college student residing in Edinburgh, had taken his Portuguese girlfriend, 23, for a walk, is a prominent spot to view the Acropolis and its monuments, especially the Parthenon, due to several rock outcrops on the hill.
In a report circulated by the state news agency on Friday, Greek police said the trio admitted to the armed robbery, claiming they used a knife and a broken bottle to threaten the victim and his companion to turn over their belongings. Police sources said the three foreign nationals maintained, following a lengthy interrogation, that the victim tried to avoid them and fell off the rock formation.
The same report said the Pakistani nationals, one of whom claims to be a minor, 17, were arrested at the Idomeni border post in northern Greece trying to flee the country, whereas the Iraqi man was located in central Athens.