Andrew Symeou
Symeou in 2015
Symeou in 2015
Born (1988-10-16) 16 October 1988
United Kingdom, London
OccupationWriter, Memoirist, Author
Notable awardsCompletelyNovel's Big Book Launch 2015 Winner

Andrew Christopher Symeou (born 16 October 1988) is a British born memoirist and author of the book Extradited: The European Arrest Warrant and My Fight for Justice from a Greek Prison Cell.[1]

Symeou was falsely accused of attacking and killing holiday maker Jonathan Hiles in a Greek nightclub. The case gained public interest in 2009 when he was extradited to Greece on a European Arrest Warrant and spent a year in prison before trial.[2] Most of his incarceration was spent in Korydallos prison; a high-security facility known for its bad conditions, inhumane treatment of inmates and gang related violence.[3][4] Symeou was found not guilty of the killing on 17 June 2011.[5] In April 2013 British Coroner Mary Hassell accused the police of using brutality in the preliminary investigation and stated that the other evidence against Symeou had been concocted by the officers. It was found that Symeou was not in the nightclub at the time of the attack.[6]

Political impact

The case is notable for highlighting the problems with the European Arrest Warrant and how it operated pre-Brexit. The consideration of evidence in a British court for an extradition request to another European state was illegal under EU law, regardless of evidence of innocence or a flawed investigation. Ex Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg stated; "No-one should ever have to go through what Andrew and the Symeou family went through. It was a travesty that they were made to suffer so much for so long. His case showed that there were real problems with the way the EAW was operating and that things needed to change as a result."[7]

Memoir

Symeou's book, Extradited, was published by Biteback Publishing in May 2015.[8] The memoir was a winner of the CompletelyNovel big book launch 2015, which included authors who had written books on the theme of inspiring people and places.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Brit holidaymaker extradited to notorious Greek prison after being falsely accused of killing teenager reveals torment on This Morning". The Mirror. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  2. ↑ "European warrants need reform, says acquitted Symeou". BBC News. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  3. ↑ "Athens Prison Riot: Violence Breaks Out At Korydallos Prison Complex, 2 Killed And 21 Injured". International Business Times. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  4. ↑ "British student: my ordeal at hands of Greeks over trumped-up death charge based on "lies"". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "Andrew Symeou cleared over death on Zakynthos". BBC News. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  6. ↑ "'I DON'T KNOW WHO IT WAS THAT KILLED JONNY HILES' Angry court scenes as coroner rules teen was unlawfully killed on holiday - but rules out former suspect". The Free Library.
  7. ↑ "Nick Clegg: Nigel Farage has modern justice - and my position on Andrew Symeou - all wrong". The Independent. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  8. ↑ "Brit holidaymaker extradited to notorious Greek prison after being falsely accused of killing teenager reveals torment on This Morning". The Mirror. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  9. ↑ "The One Big Book Launch - Ensuring Great Books Get Read". CompletelyNovel. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
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