Twenty charged over riots
A Thessaloniki prosecutor yesterday charged 20 people for their alleged role in violent protests sparked by the death of a 27-year-old Nigerian immigrant in the city. The suspects, all Greeks, were released after being charged with breaching the peace. Ten of the suspects were also charged with causing grievous bodily harm. The trial date for the suspects, who include five women, has been set for December 5. The protesters had joined dozens of immigrants and leftists in protests on Monday night in the suburb of Kalamaria, where the Nigerian died. Tony Onouha, a seller of pirate CDs, sustained fatal injuries on Saturday after falling from a first-floor cafeteria balcony. Relatives say Onouha had been trying to flee two plainclothes policemen he had thought were following him. Police have denied any link to the death, saying no officers had been on duty in the area that night. Police said they are seeking the two men Onouha had mistaken for policemen. An employee at the cafeteria where Onouha died has told police he would be able to identify the men if he sees them again.
