A 32-year-old man has been charged with a series of violent crimes in Athens, including attempted homicide, sexual assaults, and arson. During questioning, he admitted—through a translator—that he had been a member of ISIS until 2023.
The man was arrested after multiple attacks in the Aigaleo district, where he allegedly targeted three women, two of them minors. One victim, a 14-year-old girl, was thrown to the ground and spat on, according to her father. Shortly after, a 58-year-old woman was assaulted, followed by a 17-year-old who was confronted near her home.
Investigators say the suspect also confessed that another ISIS member, identified only as “Mohammed,” recruited him while he was in a detention center in Turkey. The two allegedly entered Greece together via the island of Kos in May 2024. In Athens, “Mohammed” reportedly instructed him to set fires, paying him €100 each time.
The man was already known to authorities for a previous attempted homicide against a foreign national in central Athens and had been released under restrictive conditions.
Following these revelations, Greece’s Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, ordered a review of the suspect’s asylum status. Officials confirmed that asylum can be revoked in cases of public security threats or serious criminal convictions. Authorities signaled that this approach will now be applied automatically in similar cases.
The suspect’s trial has been postponed to allow the victims to testify, while he has been referred to an investigating magistrate over the arson charges.
