"They have dismissed the misdemeanour charges as groundless. Marinakis was not in the packed courtroom at Athens' high-security Korydallos prison on Wednesday and was represented by his lawyer. Masked police officers guarded a few defendants still in detention. More than 210 people will testify before the three-member bench during the trial, which lawyers estimate could last more than a year."
"The investigation was launched after the 2023 fatal injury of a 31-year-old riot police officer, George Lyngeridis, in clashes outside a women's volleyball match between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos, a normally low-risk game. Before that match, some of the fans moved a bag of flares and makeshift explosives from a storage room at their football stadium to the volleyball venue, the investigation found. Lyngeridis was hit by a flare during the clashes and died from his injuries weeks later."
A high-profile criminal trial began in Greece charging 142 football fans and Olympiakos chair Evangelos Marinakis with running a crime organisation and causing life-threatening explosions at sporting events. Marinakis and four board members face allegations of supporting the group from 2019-24 and instigating violence with statements; they deny the misdemeanour charges. Marinakis was absent from the courtroom and represented by counsel; some detained defendants remained under police guard. More than 210 witnesses are expected to testify before a three-member bench, and lawyers estimate the trial could last over a year. The probe followed the 2023 death of riot officer George Lyngeridis after clashes involving flares.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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