Evangelos Marinakis is the owner of Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has gone on trial in Athens accused of instigating football violence and supporting a criminal organisation.
The 58-year-old, who owns Greek side Olympiacos, is accused, along with four other board members of two misdemeanour counts – instigating violence with statements against authorities and of supporting a criminal group between 2019 to 2024.
Marinakis, who was represented by his lawyer Vassilis Dimakopoulos in court, and the other Olympiacos board members have dismissed misdemeanour charges as groundless.
“The accusations are totally baseless,” Marinakis’ lawyer, told BBC Sport earlier today.
In total, 142 fans face charges of being members of a criminal organisation and causing life-threatening explosions at sporting events. Seven of them for running the criminal organisation. They have all denied wrongdoing.
The charges stem from the fatal injury suffered by 31-year-old riot police officer George Lyngeridis, who was killed outside a women’s volleyball match between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos in 2023.
Lyngeridis was hit by a flare during the clashes and died from his injuries weeks later.
The trial is expected to last several months, with more than 200 people expected to testify in the trial.
Scheduled for midday, the trial did not start until 13:30 local time and finished at 15:00.
Because of the large number of people involved – there are more than 140 defendants – which include Marinakis and four Olympiacos board members – and 220 witnesses. The trial is taking place, not in the courthouse, but in a specially designed room next to Korydallos high-security prison, in southern Attica.
The lawyers have requested a larger courtroom, which will be considered by the judges for the next date later this month.
The court is a three-member panel – there are three senior judges who will rule by majority.
Early on Wednesday morning, the street outside the building was blocked off by police. Some Olympiacos fans gathered, but there was no organised gathering in a show of support to the defendants.
Police measures were very strict – there was an ID check on everyone who wanted to enter the courtroom and a metal detector was used to scan backpacks. There are separate entrances for lawyers and witnesses in the trial and journalists. A makeshift media centre was set up in an adjacent room.
The trial began in absolute silence as the judges took to the bench and requested the presence of the defendants. The names of the defendants and witnesses were read out. Police officers wore hoods and were heavily armed.
The next hearing will take place on November 25.
