Total of 102 suspects in deadly hooligan raid remanded to custody

A total of 102 Croatian nationals, two Greeks and an Albanian national were ordered remanded to custody over the weekend in relation to a deadly hooligan attack outside the AEK Athens stadium a week ago.

A 29-year-old local man, Michalis Katsouris, was stabbed to death outside the venue during the rampage by the foreign and local hooligans, with a wide-ranging investigation underway to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators.

The most serious felony imposed against the jailed individuals is creating a criminal organization.

Meanwhile, in a latest development, another Croatian national, the 102nd of the group, was arrested and charged with involvement in the violence. He is the brother of one of the previous men arrested.

Additionally, police are seeking a Greek national whose full details have not been uncovered.

Authorities estimate that smaller group of Croatian nationals, all “ultras” of the Dinamo Zagreb football club, fled the country.

During statements before investigating magistrates all of the suspects

denied any criminal involvement in the explosive case.

Finally, a 40-year-old man accused as leader of the fanatical fan group “Bad Blue Boys” claimed, in his testimony, that he flew to Greece from Vienna where he lives to merely “applaud the team after its training”.

He denied involvement in the incidents, but reportedly admitted that he has been arrested in the past for hooligan-related incidents.