Three years after a prominent Greek-American HIV advocate was beaten to death in Athens, six people appeared in court yesterday in what Greece’s LGBTQ+ community sees as an important trial for gay rights in the country.
The six defendants — including four police officers — face up to 10 years in prison for the violent death of 33-year-old Zacharias Kostopoulos on Sept. 21, 2018, in a rundown part of central Athens.
The long-awaited trial had barely started in October last year when it was interrupted by procedural issues related to COVID-19 restrictions.
Kostopoulos, known by his artistic names “Zak” or “Zackie Oh,” was an HIV-positive drag queen and advocate for the rights of HIV-positive people in and out of the LGBTQ+ community.
A video posted on social media at the time showed that he was first beaten by two men, including the owner of a jewelry store, in which Kostopoulos had found himself locked under circumstances that remain unclear.
Believing him to be a burglar, police officers arriving at the scene also beat and handcuffed him, the video showed.
He was pronounced dead a few hours later.
The autopsy report says that Kostopoulos had “an ischemic myocardial infarction following serious injuries,” his family’s lawyer, Anna Paparoussou, told reporters.
“After three years, this trial must demonstrate to the victim’s family and to society what justice really means,” Paparoussou said, denouncing the fact that the defendants were “still roaming free.”
All six men face the same charge of causing “fatal bodily harm,” but Kostopoulos’ family wants the men to be charged with homicide.
The trial started at 9am before a panel of three judges and four jury members.
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