Another three individuals have been named, in a relevant indictment, as possibly involved in the assassination of Greek journalist Giorgos Karaivaz in April 2021, days after two arrests were made in the explosive case.

The killing of Karaivaz, in broad daylight outside his southern Athens apartment building, shocked Greek public opinion and generated headlines around the world.

The two suspects in custody are local men, identified as brothers, 48 and 40 years old.

One previous criminal case considered as related to the Karaivaz contract killing dates to 2015 and involved a protection racket, with authorities focusing on whether the rider of the scooter used in the journalist’s assassination is one of the main suspects in the former case.

Sources said Greek police believe the other named – but not charged – suspect ordered the “hit” and coordinated the attack, a convicted felon identified only as “Thamnakias”, Greek for “bushman” or “bushes”.
The gunman who shot Karaivaz dead with an automatic handgun fled the scene as the “back-seater” on the getaway scooter. However, he is believed to have shortly thereafter hopped off the scooter and enter a small white van – the latter vehicle is what, according to police, led them to the first two suspects.

The specific van is seen on footage from CCTV cameras along the getaway route as “shadowing” the scooter carrying the two assailants.

The vehicle is registered to a cleaning company owned by one of the two jailed suspects’ companion, and driver by the other arrested man, his brother.

Media reports said police first pinpointed the van at 12.57 on April 9, 2021, with the scooter first seen 16 minutes later at 13.13 (11.13 GMT), but with only one rider aboard.

At 14.15 the scooter is again spotted, but with two men riding atop. After five minutes they head towards the soon-to-be-slain journalist’s residence, where they expect him to soon arrive.

Another two camera images show both men fleeing atop the two-wheeler, whereas the third successive image shows only one rider. The van is captured on video following close behind.

According to revealed or leaked information, the assailants and the alleged two-man support team, communicated via two “burner” mobile phones the day before the assassination and on the same day, and specifically in the vicinity where the shooting took place.

The specific cell phone numbers were first activated on April 5, 2021 after being purchased from a tech store in central Athens three days earlier.

Finally, in terms of mobile phone data, the 48-year-old’s registered phone is shown as shown as being inactive during specific times on April 8 and 9, including at the moment of the shooting, travel to the crime scene and afterwards.

Headlines