11 Borac Fans Released in Athens, Barred From Leaving Greece
Eleven detained Borac Banja Luka fans have been released from custody in Athens, but they must stay in Greece, report to police on Tuesday and wait for a hearing on Friday.
Eleven fans of Banja Luka’s Borac, arrested in Athens ahead of the match against Panathinaikos, were released from custody on Saturday, October 17, but Greek authorities have not allowed them to leave the country. The case is not over: it has moved into a new phase, with set obligations and a new court date.
What is known about the release
The fans must report to the Omonia police station in Athens on Tuesday, October 20. A hearing to decide their further status is scheduled for Friday. Neither RTRS nor Srpskainfo, whose reports we are drawing on, say exactly what the fans are accused of, or whether bail was set as a condition of release.
The release came after several days of waiting. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s ambassador to Greece, Dragan Vukovic, told RTRS on Friday, October 16, that even then the exact time of the hearing was unknown: “The hearing was supposed to be today, but it kept being postponed.” He expected a decision on the detainees’ status the following day.
What happened before the match
According to a report that Srpskainfo took from Kurir, citing Greek police sources, about 150 Borac fans gathered in central Athens on the night between Wednesday and Thursday, October 14 and 15, near the hotel where the team was staying. Police say they first disrupted traffic, and that the situation then escalated: according to that report, stones were thrown at officers, and the fans had flares and metal bars. One police officer was injured and taken to hospital, and 11 fans were arrested. A special police unit was sent to the scene and patrolled the wider city center.
These are claims from that report, not a verdict: the sources do not say what the fans are charged with, so no one’s guilt has been established.
What the Bosnian ambassador said
Vukovic told RTRS on Thursday, October 15, that the Athens prosecutor’s office decides the detainees’ fate: “The prosecutor’s office will determine what happens to them next.” According to him, the outcome depends on the seriousness of the events and the damage caused, and ranges from deportation to a shorter or longer period of detention. The embassy, he said, is following the case and helping within the limits of its authority, and is in constant contact with Borac director Dejan Cato.
The match and what comes next
On Thursday in Athens, Borac lost to Panathinaikos 2-1 in the first round of the Conference League. The next dates are known: reporting at the Omonia station on Tuesday and the hearing on Friday. Until then, the eleven stay in Greece.
