A 28-year-old foreign national has been arrested by officers from Greece’s Organized Crime Unit, often referred to in local media as the “Greek FBI,” in connection with the killing of prominent criminal defense attorney Stavros Georgiou, who was found dead Tuesday (July 21) in his law office at 158 3rd September Street in Athens.
The suspect is an Egyptian national who was identified through fingerprints and security camera footage from the area surrounding the building where the victim’s office was located. From the moment experienced investigators arrived at the scene, they launched a homicide investigation, collecting fingerprints and DNA evidence.
According to authorities, surveillance footage played a decisive role in the investigation, capturing Georgiou entering the building alive for the last time, as well as the man now accused of killing him.
What the 28-Year-Old Told Police
According to police sources, the suspect said he met the victim through mutual acquaintances after the group had gone out together earlier that evening.
He claimed the attorney offered to drive him home but instead took him to his office on 3rd September Street and invited him upstairs. Once inside, the suspect alleged, an argument broke out, during which he repeatedly pushed and struck the lawyer against the walls and bedside tables until the 73-year-old attorney collapsed to the floor and died.
The Egyptian national, who authorities say is in Greece illegally after his asylum application was rejected, also faces charges in a separate 2024 case involving the alleged sexual abuse of a minor.
He told investigators that after the incident he took a laptop computer and cash from the office before leaving. When questioned about the victim’s cellphone, which has not been recovered and remains missing, he claimed he did not have it.
Timeline of the Killing
Stavros Georgiou was found dead inside his office on 3rd September Street in the Agios Panteleimonas neighborhood of Athens. He was lying in a pool of blood and had sustained severe injuries.
His body was discovered by his two underage twin daughters, who went to the office with a relative after they were unable to contact him. The building’s doorman opened the office door, and the children were confronted with the scene inside.
According to the initial findings of the investigation, the criminal defense attorney was severely beaten. Investigators believe the attacker repeatedly punched him in the head and are also examining the possibility that he was struck against a piece of furniture.
Georgiou was found lying on the floor next to the bed in his office, which he occasionally used for overnight stays.
Neighbors, clients, and friends said they were shocked by the death of the well-known attorney, describing him as a kind and widely respected man. According to those who knew him, Georgiou had been planning to leave soon for a vacation in the mountain town of Karpenisi with his two daughters.
