Tirana: "Thorough investigation of Kareli's death"
29/03/2014

After an Albanian prisoner killed a Greek prison guard, father of two, and after the prisoner died of internal injuries caused by beating, the Albanian Foreign Ministry reacted with a press release:

“We want to express our condolences for the tragic losses of the prison guard, Jorgos Cironis, and the Albanian prisoner, who was serving his sentence in this prison. The Foreign Ministry has asked our embassy in Athens and our consulate in Thessalonica to watch this matter closely”, the reaction says.

The Ministry declared that they are waiting for the coroner’s report, which could give a better view of the case.

“The Ministry condemns the attacks against law enforcing authorities, and every attack against Albanian citizens who serve their sentences in the Greek prisons. We encourage the Greek authorities to continue with a thorough investigation and bring those who are responsible to justice”, the reaction says.

The defendant’s mother: “They never allowed me to meet him”

The mother of Ilia Kareli declared that she has never been allowed to see her son since 1997, when he was imprisoned.

She said she had traveled to Greece in very bad health conditions, only to meet her son in prison, but she was never allowed to see him.

“They never allowed me to meet him. His deep despair led him to that crime. He deserved to be punished, but not to be beaten to death. He made requests to meet me but they never allowed him. I don’t think there was another reason why he did this”, she says.