A 57-year-old man was found dead on the sidewalk outside a restaurant in the Omonia area of Athens on March 24. The cause of his death is under investigation by local authorities.
According to initial police reports the man, who appears to have been homeless, had a head injury and was found lying face down on the sidewalk. Police who arrived at the scene could not immediately determine the cause of the injury.
Restaurant employees and the owner reportedly initially claimed that they found the man on the sidewalk. However, video footage from security cameras aired on television channel MEGA showed that the man had been inside the restaurant prior. The footage shows the owner and two employees carrying the unconscious man out of the restaurant without calling an ambulance and cleaning the floor afterward.
The incident took place at a restaurant serving Syrian cuisine, owned by a 56-year-old man. According to the restaurant’s staff, the man had entered the establishment to use the toilet. They told police that he slipped on the stairs and fell, resulting in the head injury.
The three men – the restaurant owner, a 56-year-old, and two employees, aged 23 and 21 – were arrested in connection with the incident. They were brought before an investigating judge on March 26 and were released without any conditions.
The local police department is conducting the investigation, and the restaurant has been sealed off as part of the inquiry. Authorities are examining all possibilities, including whether the man slipped and fell, and whether the actions of the restaurant staff contributed to the incident.
