Two men have been arrested over the fatal arson attack on the Marfin bank in 2010 in central Athens are due to appear before an investigating judge today, facing charges of multiple counts of premeditated murder.

At the same time, a woman accused of taking part in the attack is being brought before a British court after being arrested yesterday at London’s Gatwick Airport, following an international arrest warrant issued against her.

The deadly attack took place on 5 May 2010 and killed three Marfin employees: Angeliki Papathanassopoulou, who was four months pregnant, Paraskevi Zoulia and Epameinondas Tsakalis, all of whom were trapped inside the building as it was engulfed in flames.

Woman arrested in Britain to face extradition hearing

A 46-year-old Greek woman has been arrested at Gatwick and is due to appear today before Westminster Magistrates’ Court, where proceedings will begin on the Greek request for her extradition, according to a statement from Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA). A spokesperson for the NCA said the arrest was carried out by officers from its National Extradition Unit.

According to legal sources, the woman had already bought a ticket and was preparing to return to Greece. In the days before her arrest, she had reportedly contacted Greek authorities herself, maintaining her innocence and stating that she wished to return to Greece to testify. She is said to have lived permanently in Brighton for the past six years and is the mother of two children.

How investigators identified the suspects 16 years later

New evidence emerged yesterday detailing how police officers were led to identify and arrest the two men, contained in a referral from the Hellenic Police’s Sub-Directorate for the Prosecution of Crimes Against Life and Property.

As part of the renewed investigation, officers re-evaluated photographic evidence and witness statements gathered since the day of the attack, searching for clues that might identify those involved. According to the Hellenic Police, the photographs under review show three defendants: a 42-year-old man with a red scarf covering his face; a second 42-year-old wearing a light-coloured hat, prescription glasses and carrying a bag bearing the logo of the punk band Dead Kennedys; and a 46-year-old woman, for whom identifying details remain limited.

The photographs central to the case were taken minutes before the attack by a photographer standing on the mezzanine floor of the Ianos bookstore, opposite the Marfin building. Although the hooded assailants’ faces were not clearly visible, officers had counted the members of the group at the time, a detail that proved significant when the images were re-examined.

As Proto Thema reported on Sunday, the photographs showed a group of 12 people alleged to have carried out the attack. Investigators subsequently matched individuals from that group to separate photographs recovered in 2020 from the computer of an anti-establishment activist.

Those images, taken during the group’s holiday in 2009, prior to the Marfin attack, showed members wearing hats and carrying backpacks with hand-painted designs unique enough to serve as identifying markers. Investigators determined that the same hats, backpacks, shoes and sunglasses appeared on individuals recorded at the scene on the day of the attack.

Matching the evidence

As part of the case review, police also drew on photographic evidence seized in connection with separate cases involving individuals in anarchist and anti-authoritarian circles. This comparison proved a key factor in identifying two of the suspects, with investigators noting matching backpacks, clothing and other equipment.

According to the referral document, one suspect was matched by physique, hat and glasses common to both the 2009 holiday photographs and images from the day of the attack. A second suspect was identified through matching body type and footwear.

Particular emphasis was placed on the backpacks: one suspect was reportedly identified by a red emblem and light-coloured circular markings on the strap, while a second was matched through the size, colour and layout of the external pockets, as well as an orange fabric zipper pull.