Andrew Symeou to be extradited to Greece

July 21 2009

For Immediate Release
 

Andrew Symeou (a 20 year old British man from Enfield) will be extradited to Greece on 23 July 2009 where he could face months in a Greek jail awaiting trial. This follows the House of Lords’ recent refusal to hear his appeal, bringing to an end any hope that the British courts will prevent this young man’s extradition. His extradition is sought in connection with a death in a nightclub in Greece in 2007.

Jago Russell, Chief Executive of Fair Trials International, said:
“The case against Andrew Symeou is built on mistaken identity, conflicting evidence and a flawed police investigation. It is a tragedy that, despite this, the British courts have ordered this young man’s extradition to Greece where he could spend months in jail before his case is even heard by a court.”

The case against Andrew is built on mistaken identity, conflicting evidence and a flawed police investigation involving violent intimidation of witnesses. Fair Trials International has been assisting the Symeou family in their fight for justice since November 2008. We will now take the fight to Greece re-doubling our efforts to persuade Greece to drop these unfounded charges and working to ensure that Andrew is not forced to spend months in a Greek jail awaiting trial.

Contact Ryan Flynn, on 020 7762 6400 or 07885 466 206

Notes to editors

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• Despite the serious flaws with the case against him, the British courts have repeatedly refused to stop his extradition. Andrew Symeou will now be extradited to Greece on 23 July 2009.
• On 1 May, the High Court decided that Andrew Symeou (from Enfield) should be extradited to Greece to face trial under a European Arrest Warrant (“EAW”). Andrew applied for leave to argue in the House of Lords that he should not be extradited as the main evidence against him was obtained through police brutality. Although the High Court agreed that the case raised a point of public importance, the House of Lords last week refused to hear the appeal, ending any chance of the British courts protecting Andrew against extradition.
• Andrew is a 20 year old British man from Enfield in North London. In July 2007, he went on holiday with friends to Zante, Greece. While Andrew was staying in Zante another young British man, Jonathan Hiles, fell off an unguarded stage platform in a night-club, became unconscious and, tragically, died two days later from his head injury. Andrew is accused in of having struck Mr Hiles and caused him to fall. But Andrew is adamant that he was not even in the night-club at the time – and many witnesses have since confirmed this. His extradition is sought by the Greek Judicial Authority.
• Two of Andrew’s friends were interviewed by Greek police after Andrew himself had left Zante. (Andrew has never been interviewed by Greek police.) These young men have reported that they were subjected to brutal treatment by the police, who held them for 8 hours without food or water. While in custody they were beaten, punched, slapped and threatened by the officers until they gave statements implicating Andrew in connection with what happened to Mr Hiles. They immediately retracted the statements on their release and informed consular officials about the treatment they received. In recent weeks they have travelled to Zante to explain their treatment to the judge investigating Andrew’s case.
• Other serious flaws with the evidence against Andrew include:
  • Mistaken identity: Witnesses to the incident describe the attacker as tall and blonde with scarred skin. Andrew is black-haired and had a beard and a moustache.
  • No attempt was ever made by the Greek authorities to get a statement from Andrew.
  • There is strong evidence that witness statements were manufactured by Zante police. The same police officers were reported as taking statements in two different places at the same time and witnesses gave word-for-word identical statements.
  • CCTV footage showing those involved in the incident leaving the nightclub has been deleted and is not available to use in Andrew’s defence.
  • Statements given by witnesses to Andrew’s solicitor state that he was not in the nightclub at the time of the incident and only arrived 3 hours after the confrontation
• In recent weeks Andrew’s parents have travelled to Greece to meet with the judge investigating the case to outline the serious issues and problems pertaining to the Zante police investigation. Fair Trials International has also written to the judge to reiterate these concerns and to press her to withdraw the arrest warrant. We have also written in support of the Symeous’ application to the European Court of Human Rights to halt the extradition.
• Fair Trials International has serious concerns about this fast-track system for extradition within Europe. In practice, the system has been interpreted as leaving no scope for the British courts to prevent an extradition even where, as in this case, it would lead to clear injustice. In particular the British courts have allowed extraditions under this system where:
  • The extradition relates to a prison sentence resulting from a grossly unfair trial (even in cases where the defendant has not been informed of the trial).
  • There is a very real risk that the person concerned will not receive a fair trial.
  • The prosecution is based on a flawed police investigation, even where it involves mistreatment.
  • Extradition would be grossly disproportionate to the offence allegedly committed.
  • An EAW is issued many years after the alleged offence takes place (in one case we are aware of someone being arrested 20 years after the offence allegedly took place).