Accused in Marfin Bank tragedy arrested in UK, extradition to Greece underway

Authorities in the United Kingdom have arrested Eleni Argyriou, 46, who was wanted internationally for her suspected role in the deadly arson at the Marfin bank branch in the Greek capital during the 2010 riots.

The arrest was carried out on the basis of a warrant distributed globally through Interpol’s “Red Notice”.

The woman is under investigation along with two other individuals, who have already been detained for the serious incident in which three bank employees lost their lives, while Athens was engulfed by a wave of protests.

Shortly before her arrest, the 46-year-old, represented by her legal defense, had communicated with the Greek press expressing her willingness to return voluntarily to her homeland and cooperate with justice, with the aim of proving her innocence.

“I am returning to Greece of my own free will and I place myself under the authority of the investigating body for every necessary step. I have no involvement in the heinous crime at Marfin,” she had stated in the previous statement.

Despite this stance, the Greek side activated the mechanisms of international criminal cooperation, an action that led to her detention by British law enforcement forces.

Now, all eyes are turned to the process of launching extradition to Greece, where the suspect will appear before the prosecuting authorities to face the charges hanging over her shoulders.