An Athens jeweler and a real estate agent were found guilty and sentenced on Wednesday for the 2018 death of 33-year-old Greek-American gay rights activist Zak Kostopoulos.
The Athens Mixed Jury Court of Appeal unanimously passed a five-year sentence to be served under house arrest for the 81-year-old jeweler and a six-year prison sentence to the 64-year-old real estate agent for the death of Kostopoulos.
Also known by his stage name “Zackie Oh”, Kostopoulos died in September 2018 near Omonia Square in the center of Athens, after being kicked repeatedly in the head by the two assailants.
The incident, which was recorded on video, shows Kostopoulos trying to escape a jewelry store through a broken window while two men kick him as bystanders look on. Police officers who arrived to the scene arrested Kostopoulos also kicking him. He died later in the ambulance.
This week’s court decision also took into account the lack of criminal record for both defendants which lessened their prison sentences.
The verdict was announced in a crowded courtroom in the presence of the victim’s family and friends.
