A man is set to face a Greek court following accusations of murdering a Scottish woman and discarding her body in a suitcase in Athens. The court appearance comes after distressing CCTV footage surfaced, allegedly showing the suspected killer of Edinburgh resident Elisabeth Jane Ross as he transported her body through the streets of Athens in a suitcase.

While authorities have not officially disclosed the suspect’s identity, reports suggest that Sharif Ahmadzai, a 26-year-old Afghan national, is the prime suspect in the 38-year-old woman’s murder case. In the video, a man, believed to be Ahmadzai, can be seen dragging a large suitcase through the city center before abandoning it in a quiet neighborhood where the victim’s body was later found.

Following the discovery of Ms. Ross’ remains by a homeless individual, the suspect was brought in for questioning after law enforcement reviewed surveillance footage near the location where the body was abandoned. Initially detained on weapons possession charges, the 26-year-old is now facing accusations of murder and theft, allegedly withdrawing over 10,000 euros from the victim’s bank accounts using her bank cards.

Though the suspect has admitted to moving the body, he denies the murder charges brought against him. Post the alleged murder, Ahmadzai purportedly sent texts from the victim’s phone to her acquaintances before switching it off. Additionally, he is suspected of impersonating Ms. Ross to mislead her friends in Athens via text messages.

Ms. Ross’ death is estimated to have occurred during a heatwave, with Greek authorities awaiting tissue analysis results to confirm the cause of death. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office expressed condolences to the victim’s family and mentioned providing consular support. Police Scotland is also collaborating with Greek authorities to assist the victim’s family in Scotland during this challenging period.