Greek police "framed" British tourist.

A public prosecutor in Greece has been asked to open a criminal investigation into allegations that police on a holiday island framed British tourist Andrew Symeou.
Symeou, 21, has been held in a Greek jail for the past four months, since being extradited from Britain, accused of manslaughter.
Civil Liberties campaigners say the Symeou case proves the need for changes to the European Union's extradition rules because they don't protect innocent people and are demanding his release on bail.
The Greek government has just announced the establishment of a new complaints authority to deal with public distrust of the police.
From Athens, Malcolm Brabant reports on a case that is also taking a serious toll on Symeous parents, who have moved to Greece to support their son.
After this film was shot, Greek police issued a statement denying any wrong doing. They said all of their interrogation procedures were legitimate. And they insisted there was no malpractice or misuse of evidence

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Andrew Symeou
• Frank Symeou
• Helen Symeou
• George Pyromalis
• Zakynthos
• Jonathan Hiles
• Malcolm Brabant
• European Arrest Warrant

[gina16902]

Keep you chins up Uncle Frank and Auntie Helen. All your family in the UK are behind you and think about Andrew every day. We are all preying for Andrew's release.

All of this is such a misjustice and the greek police have let jon's real killer walk free.

All the best

Georgina xxx

[Brabantfeatures]

I hear that the Greek authorities may reinvestigate this case. Andrew was moved from relatively soft Avlona to Korydallos prison after this report and other of my reports were broadcast. This smacks of retribution and does nothing to enhance Greece's international image.

[takisol]

I am not quite sure what is the point...There is a trial and let's wait for the outcome. Nobody mentions the possible motive of the police to frame the ''poor Andrew''

[Brabantfeatures]

The point of the story is that the quality of European justice is variable.

From a British perspective, the complaint is that an organisation like the British Crown Prosecution Service did not look through the evidence first before the extradition took place.

Campaigners there believe that the extradition would have been rejected if the evidence had been subjected to proper scrutiny.

In Britain, a court would have dismissed a case where five witness statements were word for word identical.

[flippyfloppy69]

What a shocking tragedy a young life lost and another young man extraditied and awaiting trial. I just hope Andrew and his family are reunited soon and his name cleared. This is a complete misjustice and it shoes how the UK turn a blind eye to people and causes which do not effect them directly. i hope this story is shown onprime time television so that it receives the attentin and intergrity it deserves. My thoughts are with Andrews and his family.

[Brabantfeatures]

A version of this story has run on BBC World and the BBC News Channel. A slightly amended version is also due to run on a programme called The Reporters.

In addition, on Friday on BBC Radio Four in Britain, the World Tonight is due to devote a considerable portion of its programme to discussion about the iniquities of the European Arrest Warrant.

[bafometgr]

i hate it when they say :GREEK police framed BRITISH tourist!!! i mean wtf??? the title is: police framed a human! now you can get the point!!!!! rasist everyone of them!!!

[EllasDevil]

What is cruel however for all concerned is that they have brought this man to Greece and then not yet put him on trial (sadly, anyone familiar with the Greek Justice System will not be too surprised- cases take forever to make it to court).

The case does need to be heard in a court room as does all the issues people have relating to the evidence.

Pressure needs to be put on the authorities to expedite the case so all those concerned can put this behind them one way or another and move on.

[pasahaa]

Poor britisher tourist i feel so sorry for him and Greeks are bad

[tempac91]

Was poor Andrew sodomized by the savages in the greek prison? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH

[babouras84]

We dont give a shit about "poor Andrew" drunken british sobs do these kinds of stuff every summer so id say lets let poor lil andrew rot in his cage to set an example

[agricola]

tons of drunk belligerent british kids pour into greece and the rest of southern europe every year. shit like this probably happens every fucking week. the brits are known as the worst tourists in europe and the anger and resentment locals feel about how the brits run roughshod over everything and parade about like loud, shitflinging, curbpissing, subhuman apes is well justified.

[muchosmuertos]

Yet another nail in the coffin of our rights in this country! I can't see how the EAW can be legal!

[maxfm83]

justice is a terrible thing.... though to most here in Wales I'd say Jon Hiles is the real victim... and if Symeou's sure of his innocence, why is was he fighting so hard to stop facing trial?

[tempac91]

Poor Andrew is probably being buttfucked by Albanian drug dealers in Korydallos! Our hearts go to him!

[eui2510]

how can they say he is not greek and he does not have a home in greece? isnt he greek and doesnt his family got a house there?his parents even speak greek in this video. how come the symeou surname then? the whole case is quite confusing. and stop that racist behaviour. is not about greece or england is about a human being kept in prison without commiting a crime! hoping andrew will be released.

[cosast54]

Stay away from Greece , only in England can you be shure of justice!