A man suspected of killing a Scottish aid worker in Greece has appeared before a court in Athens, where he was told he faces charges of homicide with intent, robbery and weapons offences.
Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, from Afghanistan, made no comment during the private hearing. The case has been deferred until Thursday, when he is expected to be formally charged. Under Scots law, homicide with intent is broadly equivalent to a murder charge, though the case is being heard under the Greek judicial system.
The body of Elisabeth Jane Ross, known to family and friends as Lisa, was found inside a suitcase at an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of Athens on 18 July, days after she was reported missing. Ross, from Edinburgh, is understood to have been volunteering with a refugee support organisation based in the Greek capital.
According to police, Ross arrived in Greece on 26 June and stayed in the Kertasini area of Piraeus until 10 July. An initial coroner's report was unable to establish a cause of death, but police have said that subsequent, more detailed examinations pointed to what they described as an "obvious criminal act, likely asphyxiation".
Ahmadzai was driven to court in a vehicle with blacked-out windows and was escorted from the building more than an hour later by police officers whose faces were covered. He did not speak to reporters as he left.
The BBC has reported that Ahmadzai left Afghanistan after being orphaned at the age of 15, travelling to Greece via Iran and Turkey. According to an account previously published by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, he subsequently settled in a refugee camp on the island of Lesbos, where he met his American wife and converted to Christianity. The couple went on to establish a charity, Love Every Nation Athens, aimed at supporting other refugees. Ahmadzai is also reported to have won a Greek super lightweight boxing title earlier this year.
George Kalliakmanis, president of the Union of Police Officers of Southeast Attica, said it was "possible" that Ross and Ahmadzai had come into contact through their respective charity work. He said investigators were examining whether Ahmadzai had access to a key for the apartment on Rethymnou Street where Ross is believed to have died.
According to Kalliakmanis, police have verified footage appearing to show Ahmadzai carrying a suitcase believed to have contained Ross's body. He said data from a location-sharing application used by Ahmadzai's wife indicated that the suspect had been present at the Rethymnou Street property around the time Ross is thought to have died.
Kalliakmanis said Ahmadzai had told investigators that he found Ross already dead in the bathroom of the property, and that he had admitted to moving her body but denied killing her. Police believe the suspect subsequently took the victim's bank card and mobile phone, and, according to Kalliakmanis, sent text messages to her family and friends in an attempt to suggest she was still alive.
Police further allege that the victim's bank card was used to withdraw approximately €10,000 in the days following her death. Kalliakmanis said Ahmadzai's wife had no involvement in, or prior knowledge of, the alleged offences.
Ross's death has prompted expressions of grief from those who knew her, with a church tribute in recent weeks describing her as a "precious" missionary. Details of the charity she was volunteering with in Athens have not been fully disclosed, though police have confirmed it was engaged in supporting refugees and migrants in the Greek capital.
The case is expected to progress further at Thursday's hearing, when formal charges are anticipated. Greek authorities have not indicated a likely timeline for any subsequent trial. The investigation into the exact circumstances of Ross's death, including the cause established through post-mortem examination, is understood to be continuing alongside the ongoing legal proceedings against Ahmadzai.
