A 26-year-old man identified as Sharif Ahmadzai has been arrested in Athens in connection with the death of a Scottish woman whose body was discovered in a suitcase. Ahmadzai, an Afghan refugee and amateur boxer, is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.
The body of Elisabeth Jane Ross, 38, was found in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of Athens on July 18, several days after she was reported missing. Authorities have not released details regarding the cause of death.
Ahmadzai reportedly arrived in Greece as a refugee and lives in Athens with his American wife and child. According to reports, he left Afghanistan after being orphaned at age 15, with his father killed in the Afghan army and his mother and siblings perishing in a suicide bombing in Kabul. He traveled to Greece via Iran and Turkey before settling on the island of Lesbos, where he is understood to have met his wife and converted to Christianity.
The couple established the charity Love Every Nation Athens to assist other refugees. It is believed that Ahmadzai may have met Ross through this organization. Ahmadzai is described as a champion boxer who has travelled to Greece as a refugee.