Ioanna Gaka and Ilias Theodoropoulos, the two doctors at the center of the judicial investigation into the death of Giorgos Mazonakis, are being taken into custody after, following their lengthy statements, the investigating judge and prosecutor decided to remand them in custody pending trial.

The two defendants face charges of intentional homicide with possible intent, committed by omission, an offence which, in the event of a conviction, can carry a life sentence.

After being granted two extensions, the two doctors appeared before the investigating judge shortly after 2pm yesterday, having first prepared and submitted written memoranda setting out their positions.

What followed was a marathon round of questions and answers, with the judicial officer seeking clarification on the events that unfolded during the critical period when the well-known artist was at the medical practice on Karneadou Street to undergo plasmapheresis treatment.

The doctor’s statement

Ioanna Gaka was the first to begin giving her statement. From the early stages of the investigation, she has been at the center of the case file, as she was the doctor responsible for the particular “treatment”.

The defendant remained in the investigating judge’s office for around eight hours and, in her statement, reportedly fully rejected the charge against her, denying that she had engaged in any unlawful or fraudulent action.

In particular, the doctor reportedly argued that the events described in the case file took place after 4pm.

This is a crucial aspect of the case, which is under close scrutiny by the authorities, as the case file contains digital data recording the operation of the plasmapheresis machine and, among other things, the time at which the first alarm was recorded.

The investigating judge is said to have placed particular emphasis on the period between the first alarm signal from the plasmapheresis machine and the call to EKAB. On this issue, the defendant reportedly insisted that an alarm sounding on the machine does not necessarily indicate a risk of cardiac arrest for the patient, as it could be caused by another problem, in this case an issue with the veins and venous catheters that had been placed in the popular artist.

Responding to the investigating judge’s persistent questions, the doctor reportedly maintained, according to information, that she had followed all the protocols; that the cardiac arrest occurred at 4:15pm; and that EKAB was called at 4:21pm. She reportedly said that EKAB collected the artist but did not even have a stretcher. As a result, according to the defendant’s account, Giorgos Mazonakis was placed in a chair to be taken to the ambulance and CPR was discontinued – something which, she maintained, could have saved his life had it continued.

The doctor also rejected the allegations of intent and stressed that the medical practice on Karneadou Street was operating entirely lawfully and that the equipment had been registered with the Athens Medical Association (ISA) for 2025–26.

According to information, Ioanna Gaka also said, “I am a good doctor and I’ve done so much good and this happened to me”, adding, “I have accepted that I may go to prison, but I am at peace with myself.”

As for the photographs of the artist found on her mobile phone, which she sent to a recipient whose identity is still unknown, she reportedly claimed that photographing her patients is her standard practice. She nevertheless maintained that her husband was not the recipient of the photographs.

Theodoropoulos’s statement

Her husband then gave his statement, remaining in the investigating judge’s office for around four hours. According to information, the defendant repeated his original position, namely that he became aware of the incident after 4pm that day. In support of this claim, the defendant reportedly said that at 4:06pm he was prescribing medication to another patient, meaning that he had nothing to do with the plasmapheresis treatment that Giorgos Mazonakis was due to undergo.

According to information, Theodoropoulos reportedly said that he had been dragged into the matter for no reason because of his wife, adding that he did not mind because he adored her. According to the same information, when he was informed of the decision to remand him in custody, he said that he would begin refusing both food and water.

Two defence witnesses sided with the couple: the medical practice’s secretary and a client, both of whom had already given evidence to the investigating judge last Monday.

According to information, the two witnesses confirmed the doctor’s claim, testifying that he was informed of the incident after 4pm.

However, the two defendants failed to convince the authorities with the above claims, as immediately after the judicial proceedings, which lasted around 18 hours, the decision was taken to remand them in custody.

Gaka felt unwell

Meanwhile, Ms Gaka felt unwell earlier outside the investigating judge’s office after completing her statement, while her husband, the defendant, was giving his statement inside the investigating judge’s office.

An ambulance arrived shortly afterwards at the former Evelpidon Military Academy court complex, with its crew attempting to provide her with first aid. However, according to information, the defendant was in a poor psychological state and, crying, refused medical attention from the EKAB rescuers.