Alexis Kougias, a well-known Athens defense lawyer, passed away on Friday at the age of 74. In recent days, he had been intubated and was being treated in an Athens hospital’s ICU, battling lymph node cancer.
The news of his death caused widespread grief in the legal and sports communities, as he had served in various posts in pro football clubs, such as AEK Athens, Panachaiki and Larissa FC.
Kougias, who had taken on a number of the most high-profile legal cases in the country, had recently spoken about his health issues but chose not to reveal details, simply stating that it was “a manageable problem.”
Born and raised in the west Athens district of Petroupoli to a working-class family, he initially studied law at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki before completing his degree at the University of Athens.
Alexis Kougias began his legal career in 1974. Over the course of 50 years, he participated in more than 25,000 trials, including approximately 1,000 homicide cases.
He first gained national attention in 1976 when, at just 25 years old, he represented Vangelis Rochamis, a notorious prison escapee artist.
Among the high-profile cases he handled were the trial of the so-called “satanists of Pallini” and the prosecution of members of the 17 November terrorist group.
