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
Zacharias Kostopoulos died on September 21, 2018, at the age of 33 from injuries. Six people are on trial over his death, including four police officers.