Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, who denies murdering Scottish aid worker Elisabeth Ross, 38, is reported to have been assaulted by fellow inmates at Korydallos prison in Athens, where he is being held ahead of trial.
A 26-year-old Afghan national accused of killing British aid worker Elisabeth Ross has reportedly been assaulted by other inmates at a high-security prison in Athens. Sharif Ahmadzai, a champion boxer who moved to Greece as a child migrant, was arrested after Ms Ross’s decomposed body was discovered inside a suitcase in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of the city on 18 July. He was charged in August with homicide with intent, robbery and weapons offences, and remains in custody at Korydallos prison ahead of trial.
Body found in suitcase after days of decomposition
Ms Ross, 38, had been renting her Athens apartment from a refugee charity run by Ahmadzai. Her remains were found on 18 July in a suitcase in a derelict car park in Kypseli, in central Athens, but the extent of decomposition meant it took investigators several days to formally identify her. Before that identification was confirmed, Ahmadzai came forward and admitted sending what police described as misleading text messages from Ms Ross’s phone to her family and friends.
Suspect denies murder but admitted moving the body
Ahmadzai has denied murdering Ms Ross, telling investigators he found her already dead inside the apartment. However, according to police testimony, he separately admitted moving her body and using her bank cards to withdraw more than 10,000 euros from cash machines around Athens. One insider close to the case said many at Korydallos remained unconvinced by his account, noting that discovering a body, moving it, taking the victim’s money and not alerting the authorities was, in their words, “a bit hard to believe.”
Reports of assault inside Korydallos
Ahmadzai was moved to Korydallos, Greece’s largest prison, to await trial; under Greek law he could be held there for up to 18 months before the case is heard. The facility holds some of the country’s most serious offenders, including those convicted of terrorism-related and violent crimes. Custodial sources said Ahmadzai was attacked by other inmates not long after his arrival and was “subject to fierce attack and was badly beaten up.” He is said to have required treatment in the prison infirmary. The same sources suggested other prisoners had shown particular hostility towards him because of the nature of the allegations he faces.
Wife’s testimony described as crucial to the arrest
Ahmadzai’s American wife, Alaina Hall, with whom he shares a young child, is understood to have played a significant role in bringing him to police attention. She has said that on the evening of 15 July she discovered he was missing, and that tracking his phone showed his location at Ms Ross’s apartment. She also said he had given her 2,550 euros (£2,200) and a new iPhone 17 Pro, which she feared may have been bought using Ms Ross’s stolen bank cards. Greek police told The Times that, along with CCTV evidence, her account was decisive, saying: “We would not have been able to find this man” without it. Officers added that she did not appear to want any involvement in the crime her husband is accused of.
Detention status unclear as case awaits trial
It has not been confirmed whether Ahmadzai has sought a transfer to another detention facility in Greece, with a source describing any such request as confidential. The same source said Ahmadzai had shown “no remorse,” and suggested that the informal hierarchy among inmates at Korydallos meant he had already faced consequences at the hands of other prisoners. The case remains ongoing, with Ahmadzai in custody pending trial on the homicide, robbery and weapons charges.
