Suspected of killing 38-year-old woman and leaving her body in a suitcase, 26-year-old boxer appears before court in Athens

Afghan boxer Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, appeared before an Athens court this Wednesday, where he faces charges of murdering British national Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38. Authorities suspect that he placed her body in a suitcase and then left it in an unoccupied building.

In addition to murder, Greek prosecutors have also accused Ahmadzai of misappropriating thousands of euros from the victim’s bank accounts.

Escorted by two armed police officers, the 26-year-old went to the Evelpidon court complex, where he was due to give his account of the incident.

During questioning by investigators, Ahmadzai said that he found Ross lifeless in her home. He claimed that he then placed her body in a suitcase, moved it through the Kypseli area of Athens and abandoned it in an unoccupied building.

His lawyer, Christos Erdas, requested that the hearing be postponed, arguing that the materials submitted by the prosecution were incomplete. Following the request, the court scheduled Ahmadzai’s return for Thursday at 11:00.

British media report that the 26-year-old went to Greece in 2016, after passing through Pakistan, Iran and Turkey. He had stated that the Taliban had killed his family.

While staying at the migrant camp in Moria, Ahmadzai met Alaina Hall, an American citizen from Georgia who was working as a volunteer. In 2017, he converted to Christianity, while the couple married in April 2023.

Ahmadzai and Hall jointly established the organization Love Every Nation, which provided assistance to refugees in Athens. In April this year, they became parents.

The 26-year-old worked as a boxer and in March won the Greek title in the super-lightweight category. He also held boxing classes, through which he raised funds for the organization.

Investigations have revealed that Elisabeth-Jane Ross knew the couple through the organization’s activities. She was staying in an apartment linked to the NGO, to which Ahmadzai and his wife allegedly had access.