Athens suitcase suspect 'told victim's friends he was jihadist who murdered her because she was Christian'

A man suspected of murdering a British woman in Athens allegedly told her friends and family he was a jihadist who murdered her because she was Christian.

Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, also sent the message to his American wife and other friends of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, who was found dead in a suitcase just days ago.

Ahmadzai, an Afghan migrant who arrived in Greece by small boat in 2016, is due to appear in court in Athens today.

The migrant, who is also a professional boxer, married Alaina Hall in 2023, after they met at a refugee centre in Athens.

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The pair went on to run a pro-migrant NGO called Love Every Nation Athens after marrying, and have one child together despite opposition from Mrs Hall's family.

Ahmadzai is said to have denied killing 38-year-old Ms Ross in police interviews, claiming he found her dead in the bathroom of an apartment.

He is now accused of sending messages to Ms Ross's family and friends from the Briton's phone before switching off the device.

He then allegedly bought a burner phone and texted her friends and his wife, claiming to be a jihadist who killed Ms Ross because of her Christian faith, according to local media reports.

Ahmadzai is also accused of stealing Ms Ross's bank cards and withdrawing thousands of euros from her accounts.

He was later allegedly seen on CCTV making cash withdrawals, polices sources told The Times.

Greek authorities maintain the alleged murder was the result of a confrontation between the two.

Mrs Hall's aunt Leanne said her brother Thomas, a 65-year-old pilot, and his wife Susan were skeptical of the marriage.

"I've never met him, I've only heard about him. But I can tell you my brother and sister-in-law never wanted them to get married," she told the Daily Mail.

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Legal papers revealed Mrs Hall became suspicious of her husband when she noticed he had left their house on July 16 and tracked his phone to where Ms Ross was staying.

Authorities believe Ms Ross died between five and seven days before she was found.

A preliminary assessment suggested she died from suffocation, but authorities are awaiting the results of tissue analysis to confirm it.

Ahmadzai also ran boxing classes to raise money for Love Every Nation.

The couple's website claims his father, a military commander in Kabul, survived six assassination attempts but was eventually killed by the Taliban when he was four.

His older brother was later kidnapped by the terrorist group, and his mother, brother and sister were killed in a suicide car bomb, according to the site.

The Foreign Office said earlier: "Our thoughts are with Elisabeth’s family during this difficult time.

"We are providing consular support and are in contact with the local authorities."

A Police Scotland spokesman previously said: "We are aware of the death of a Scottish woman in Athens and are liaising with authorities in Greece.

"Officers are providing support to her family in Scotland."

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