Two people have been arrested as suspects participating in the attack against the mayor of Thessaloniki, Yiannis Boutaris. The two are a 20- and a 36-year-old man who has been known to police for thefts, media report adding that police has identified another eight persons from the rich attack footage posted all over the internet, media websites and social media.
The 20-year-old has reportedly told police he attacked Boutaris “after going mad about his remarks about the [Pontus Greeks] Genocide.”
The origin of the 36-year-old is from Georgia.
The two men will appear before the prosecutor on Monday, they are to be charged for “domestic peace disturbance, unprovoked bodily harm and extended material damage.”
In a tweet on Sunday, Greek police said investigation is continuing. The two men were detained on Sunday morning, more than 12 hours after the attack.
Sunday evening police announced it has detained 3 more people, one of them is 17 years old.
An angry mob attacked Boutaris on Saturday at an event to commemorate the Pontus Greeks massacre by in the beginning of 20th century. He was thrown to the ground and kicked all over his body, the mob threw bottles, stones and other items at him.
He was taken to a hospital and spent the night there for examination.
“I lived a nightmare,” the 75-year-old Boutaris said after he was discharged from the hospital Sunday. “They were hitting me all over, with fists and feet.”
The mayor was in a state of shock when he arrived at the hospital where he was treated for a leg injury and bruises, Ippokratio General Hospital director Vana Papachristodoulou said.
“He wanted to leave immediately, but we insisted and kept him overnight,” she said.
The Greek government blamed the beating on “extreme-right thugs,” opposition parties New Democracy and Movement for Change (PASOK) spoke of far-right extremists in statements condemning the attack.
In fact all democratic parties condemn the attack except for extreme-right Golden Dawn and some marginal failed politicians from the far-right spectrum like Karatzaferis, Velopoulos who praised the attack. The daughter of GD leader, praised the attack on social media tweeting “Sad I wasn’t there. Well done, guys! Respect only!”
The mayor of Argos distanced himself from the official New Democracy line and tweeted “This is the fate of the traitors,” with “traitors” written all in capital letters.
Yiannis Boutaris has already file a law suit against “unknown perpetrators”, he is considering also to file against some local conservative politicians who were present at the event on Saturday and seemed to have incited to violence.
