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Was Hussein Khavari (known only as “Hussein K.” in Germany) released from a Greek prison early in order that he might flee to Germany, and thus get him out of the Greeks’ hair? Or was it a matter of simple incompetence on the part of the Greek government?
Mr. Khavari, the alleged rapist and murderer of Maria L. in Freiburg, had been sentenced to ten years in prison in Greece for attempted murder. Yet the Greek judicial authorities released him after he had served only a year and a half of that sentence.
Below is a brief excerpt from a press conference in which German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière discusses the murder of Maria L. and the early release of her accused killer.
Many thanks to Egri Nök for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:
The following article from Die Welt, also translated by Egri Nök, examines the release of Hussein K. in greater detail:
Was Hussein K. released for ideological reasons?
by Boris Kálnoky
The Freiburg suspect had already been sentenced to ten years of imprisonment and served jail time in Greece. Even so, he was released as part of an amnesty, allegedly because of over crowded prisons. An expert supposes that in fact it was about party-political reasons for the Syriza government.
Much has been said and written on the case of the alleged woman-killer of Freiburg, an Afghan refugee who was already in prison for a similar crime in Greece. Ten years’ imprisonment was the verdict after he had thrown a young woman off a cliff.
However, after only a year and a half, he was released in October 2015 as part of an amnesty, with the requirement to report regularly to the police.
Instead, he soon disappeared for Germany. The Greek authorities announced a manhunt, but only within the country — European Ministries of the Interior therefore had no information about him.
The Greeks forwent an international manhunt
The alleged murderer of Freiburg was convicted in Greece because of a murder-related offense, Federal Minister of the Interior de Maizière said. He was identified with no doubt. He held the Greek authorities in partial fault.
“Incompetence,” suggests Dimitris Papadimitriou, a Greek researcher at the University of Manchester. The purpose of the amnesty was to create space in Greece’s overcrowded prisons by freeing mainly prisoners whose offenses were not particularly severe.
In the case of such less serious cases, it is not customary to alert international authorities if the person released breaches his reporting obligation and disappears.
Rulebook slowdown? Or lack of attention?
Perhaps, suggests Papadimitriou, the responsible authorities had just been “engaging in a work-to-rule”. As the perpetrator had been released in the context of an amnesty for less serious crimes, it was perhaps not deemed necessary to report to the partner authorities abroad. Or they just did not pay attention.
The man, however, had been sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment for attempted murder. Not a light offense, and Papadimitriou neither understands why the case was not reported abroad, nor why the man was released at all.
