An Afghan migrant accused of killing a British charity worker and concealing her body in a suitcase appeared in a Greek court on Tuesday. Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, faces charges of intentional homicide, robbery, and weapons offenses in the death of Elisabeth Jane Ross, 38, who was volunteering in Athens.
Ahmadzai was brought to the Evelpidon court complex under heavy police escort. During his initial appearance before an investigating judge, he requested additional time and a lawyer, leading to a brief hearing. The judge ordered him to reappear on Wednesday, with a formal charging by a Greek prosecutor scheduled for Thursday.
According to initial reports, Ahmadzai intends to deny the killing, claiming he discovered Ms. Ross already dead in a bathroom and subsequently panicked, leading him to dispose of her body. A court-appointed lawyer is representing him, and he is expected to be remanded in custody pending a trial within the next 18 months.
Police sources indicate that Ahmadzai, who arrived in Greece in 2016 and later converted to Christianity, married US-born Christian Alaina Hall in 2023. The couple reportedly knew Ms. Ross through their work with a ministry helping refugees in Athens. Their organization, Love Every Nation Athens, owned the flat where Ms. Ross was staying, and they possessed a key.
Ahmadzai's wife allegedly became suspicious of his behavior on July 30. She reportedly told officers she awoke on the evening of July 15 to find her husband missing and discovered his shared location tracker placed him at Ms. Ross's apartment. She also stated that her husband confided in her about an argument with Ms. Ross concerning religious differences, as Ms. Ross allegedly wanted him to join a stricter Christian group.
Investigators began probing Ahmadzai after his wife expressed concerns. She reportedly told detectives that her husband had confessed to being angry with Ms. Ross over her religious influence. She later handed over cash and a new iPhone to the police, which she believed were purchased with Ms. Ross's money. A search of the couple's home on August 1 reportedly uncovered a replica Glock-style pistol and a military-style knife.
CCTV footage reviewed by police reportedly shows Ahmadzai arriving at Ms. Ross's ground-floor flat on the evening of July 16. Approximately 13 minutes later, he is seen carrying a suitcase towards an abandoned car park and then walking away without it. Ms. Ross's last confirmed communication was a phone call to a friend at 9:41 p.m. on July 15. Friends and relatives subsequently received messages that they found uncharacteristic, raising suspicions.
Ms. Ross, originally from Edinburgh, had been volunteering in Greece for seven years with various NGOs assisting refugees and vulnerable populations. She had been in Athens since June 26, initially staying with friends before moving to Rethymnou Street on July 2, where she was volunteering with a Christian-based NGO. The police were alerted to the situation after Ms. Ross's mobile phone, which had been inactive for days, was suddenly switched on, allowing them to trace it to Ahmadzai's location.