A 70-year-old pensioner in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki was briefly arrested and held for several hours after cutting a small branch of rosemary from a hospital flowerbed — an incident that has drawn public attention for its absurdity.
According to reports, the man had visited the hospital to see a relative who was being treated there. While walking through the hospital courtyard, he picked a small sprig of rosemary from a landscaped area. A security guard witnessed the act and accused him of “theft of public property.”
Police were called to the scene, and the man was taken into custody and detained for more than seven hours as part of the standard legal procedure.
The local prosecutor was notified of the incident and ultimately ordered his release without pressing charges. The hospital, reportedly wishing to avoid further publicity, chose not to pursue the matter.
The episode has triggered widespread astonishment on social media and among local residents, with many criticizing the heavy-handed response to what appeared to be a harmless act by an elderly visitor. While authorities did not issue an official statement, the case has reignited debate in Greece about bureaucratic rigidity and disproportionate enforcement of minor offenses.
