All five defendants for the brutal murder of 43-year-old Polish professor at the American University of Berkeley, Przemyslaw Jeziorski, in Agia Paraskevi on July 4, were unanimously remanded in custody by the examining magistrate and the prosecutor.

After marathon depositions that began in the morning and ended late at night, the magistrate and prosecutor unanimously decided to remand all five, who will be transferred to prison tomorrow.

Central figures in the case are the 43-year-old ex-wife of the victim and her 35-year-old partner, the latter believed to be the actual perpetrator of the murder. The case file also includes three more individuals charged with participating in the plan, among them a 16-year-old.

The 35-year-old, who testified first, reportedly took responsibility for the act, claiming he acted out of fear that the professor would take his children away from Greece. “I wanted to protect my family,” he is said to have stated, also claiming that his partner was unaware of his intentions.

The 23-year-old defendant, allegedly the driver of the luxury vehicle used on the day of the murder, stated he had no knowledge of the murder plan and believed it was only a scare tactic. He claimed he realized the danger only when he heard the 35-year-old cock a gun inside the car, at which point he fled in panic.

Similarly, the 30-year-old co-defendant denied any involvement in the murder, although he admitted being asked to “find people” to intimidate the victim. He stated that after the crime, the 35-year-old approached him, confessed to what had happened, and asked him to keep quiet. “I’ll give you €50,000 because I got you involved,” he reportedly told him.

The 43-year-old ex-wife of the professor, who testified last, categorically denied any involvement, stating she had no knowledge of her partner’s actions. “I am innocent and devastated. I learned who the perpetrator was only when informed by the police. I had no motive to cause his death – he financially supported the family,” she said.

During his testimony before the magistrate, the first defendant, the 35-year-old self-confessed actual perpetrator of the professor’s murder, reiterated what he had said during the preliminary investigation. He claimed full responsibility for the crime, stating he killed the victim alone, without premeditation or prior planning, and without receiving any order to do so from his partner, the victim’s ex-wife.

He also maintained that he acted under a state of fear and anxiety for his family’s future, insisting that his partner had no knowledge of his plans. This, despite the authorities possessing irrefutable evidence indicating that efforts were made to conceal his identity and construct an alibi.

The 35-year-old further claimed he wanted to end the legal dispute between the victim and his partner so that he could live his life with her and their 14-year-old child. “I apologize… I wanted to free my family,” he said, adding that he feared the victim would take the children to Poland and he would never see them again.

At one point in his testimony, the 35-year-old broke down and, crying, told the magistrate that he regretted what he had done. The deposition was briefly interrupted as he was unable to continue.

Charges
The defendants in the murder of the Polish professor in Agia Paraskevi face serious charges for the planning, organization, and execution of the crime.

The economist ex-wife of the 43-year-old professor is charged as the moral instigator of the crime, her current partner, as the physical perpetrator, is charged with premeditated murder in a calm mental state, illegal weapon possession, and use, and the three foreign co-defendants are charged with aiding and abetting the murder.