Marinakis On Trial In Athens Over Inciting Gang Violence

Nottingham Forest proprietor Evangelos Marinakis has gone connected proceedings successful Athens accused of instigating shot unit and supporting a criminal organisation.

The 58-year-old, who owns Greek broadside Olympiacos, is accused, on pinch 4 different committee members of 2 misdemeanour counts - instigating unit pinch statements against authorities and of supporting a criminal group betwixt 2019 to 2024.

Marinakis, who was represented by his lawyer Vassilis Dimakopoulos successful court, and nan different Olympiacos committee members person dismissed misdemeanour charges arsenic groundless.

"The accusations are wholly baseless," Marinakis' lawyer, told BBC Sport earlier today.

In total, 142 fans look charges of being members of a criminal organisation and causing life-threatening explosions astatine sporting events. Seven of them are charged for moving nan criminal organisation

The charges stem from nan fatal wounded suffered by 31-year-old riot constabulary serviceman George Lyngeridis, who was killed extracurricular a women's volleyball lucifer betwixt Olympiacos and Panathinaikos successful 2023.

Lyngeridis was deed by a flare during nan clashes and died from his injuries weeks later.

The proceedings is expected to past respective months, pinch much than 200 group expected to attest successful nan trial.

Scheduled for midday, nan proceedings did not commencement until 13:30 section clip and vanished astatine 15:00.

Because of nan ample number of group progressive - location are much than 140 defendants and 220 witnesses - nan proceedings is taking place, not successful nan courthouse, but successful a specially designed room adjacent to Korydallos high-security prison, successful confederate Attica.

The lawyers person requested a larger courtroom, which will beryllium considered by nan judges for nan adjacent day later this month.

The tribunal is simply a three-member sheet - location are 3 elder judges who will norm by majority.

The defendants are fans who look proceedings connected counts of participating successful a criminal organisation related to a 2023 incident of hooligan unit successful Piraeus-port city, that allegedly resulted successful nan decease of a constabulary officer.

Early connected Wednesday morning, nan thoroughfare extracurricular nan building was blocked disconnected by police. Some Olympiacos fans gathered, but location was nary organised gathering successful a show of support to nan defendants.

Police measures were very strict - location was an ID cheque connected everyone who wanted to participate nan courtroom and a metallic detector was utilized to scan backpacks. There are abstracted entrances for lawyers and witnesses successful nan proceedings and journalists. A makeshift media centre was group up successful an adjacent room.

The proceedings began successful absolute soundlessness arsenic nan judges took to nan chair and requested nan beingness of nan defendants. The names of nan defendants and witnesses were publication out. Police officers wore hoods and were heavy armed.

The adjacent proceeding will return spot connected November 25.