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Nearly 100 Croatian fans face murder charges in Greece after deadly brawl

2023-08-09 19:27:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Nearly 100 Croatian soccer fans appeared before a court in Athens on Wednesday to face serious criminal charges, including murder and participation in a criminal organization, over their alleged involvement in a deadly brawl between fans on 8 August.

The arrested youths - most of whom covered their heads with their jerseys to hide their identities - appeared before a judge a day after a 29-year-old Greek fan was stabbed to death near Athens' AEK stadium, leaving him caused the cancellation of the qualifying match between the Greek club and Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.

Court officials said the judge indicted all 103 suspects, including 97 Croatian citizens. Also included in the indictment are accusations of multiple assaults and illegal possession and use of explosive material.

Accusations of murder may be dismissed against most of the defendants during the continuation of the investigation.

Amateur video of the attack showed dozens of youths running past the stadium with sticks and iron bars in hand, where petrol bombs and fireworks exploded. Ten people were injured and four remain hospitalized.

Elsewhere in Greece, police have set up roadblocks and stepped up border checks in search of other suspects.

Authorities said six Croatian nationals were arrested while trying to leave the country. Five of them were arrested in the northwestern port of Igoumenista, where they were preparing to board a ferry to Italy, while six others were arrested on a bus to Albania.

AEK has called on the home of European football, UEFA, to punish Dinamo Zagreb "severely and immediately", expressing disappointment that the first leg of the qualifying round will take place in Zagreb at the end of this month.

The Croatian government and Dinamo have strongly condemned the attack in Athens. But the Zagreb club has defended its actions, insisting that it cooperated fully with the authorities.

Dinamo opposed AEK's calls for it to be excluded from European competitions.

Meanwhile, in a joint communique, the mayors of Athens and Zagreb, Kostas Bakoyannis and Tomislav Tomasevic, called for calming the situation.

"Athens and Zagreb have friendly relations, and as presidents, we are determined to strengthen them. This senseless violence has no place in our stadiums, cities and societies", they said./REL