Greek prosecutors have charged 40 individuals in relation to the fatal stabbing of a football fan in Athens before a Champions League match.
Fatal Stabbing of Greek Football Fan; 40 People Charged|The National
In the said brawl, a 29-year-old man named Michalis Katsouris died due to fatal stabbing.
Due to this fatal stabbing incident, the third-round qualifier match between the two teams has been postponed by UEFA until August 19. A total of 40 individuals were taken into custody, adding to the previous count of 70 individuals who have been charged thus far.
In relation to the brawl that led to the fatal stabbing incident, around 100 arrests were made by the police, majority of which were connected to extremist supporters of Dinamo football club known as Bad Blue Boys. Out of the 30 people charged in relation to the brawl that led to the fatal stabbing, 12 of them (10 Croatians, an Albanian, and a Greek) were kept in custody.
Additionally, seven police officers were suspended by the Greek minister for citizen protection, Yannis Oikonomou, for not ensuring enough security measures to prevent the fight that led to the fatal stabbing.
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The government has increased the maximum punishment for fan violence from six months to five years.
Last year, the same fatal stabbing incident happened in which took the life of the teenager, Alkis Kampanos. 7 people are arrested for Kampanos’ fatal stabbing while 5 others are also detained for complicity on the fatal stabbing.
In relation to the brawl that led to the fatal stabbing incident, heightened border security measures have prevented fans of AEK and Dinamo from attending their upcoming matches in Athens and Zagreb. This decision includes the qualifier match on August 19 and the following leg, Hindustan Times says.
Recently, seven Romanian fans were arrested while trying to cross the Greece-Bulgaria border with knives. They have been given suspended prison sentences and fines as a punishment.
This incident that led to the fatal stabbing has raised concerns within the football community about the necessity of increased security measures.
READ MORE| Forty charged after fatal stabbing of Greek football fan
