The three suspects arrested in connection with the murder of Vagia Nestora are expected to appear before a prosecutor this Saturday (July 11), following the deadly arson attack on her home. The three individuals involved in the case will first give statements to Counter-Terrorism officers before being brought before the prosecutor.
Counter-Terrorism units tracked down the suspects through coordinated operations, arresting a 29-year-old man in Thessaloniki and a 26-year-old woman in Chania — both allegedly responsible for planting the incendiary devices — as well as a 24-year-old man accused of providing them with shelter before and after the attack. The 29-year-old was arrested at his home, while the 26-year-old was tracked down in Chania, where she had fled after learning that Vagia Nestora — the mother of New Democracy politician Afroditi Nestora — had died from her injuries. As for the 24-year-old accused of sheltering the perpetrators, the apartment belongs to his relatives, and he had provided them with keys. According to reports, at least three more individuals are still being sought in connection with the other two attacks carried out the same night, as police continue their investigation at full pace.
Vagia Nestora: How Greek police zeroed in on the three suspects
Two of the three arrested suspects are being described by police as unrepentant and ruthless terrorism nostalgists — individuals whose nihilistic ideology cost a 72-year-old woman her life. Counter-Terrorism officers arrested the bombers who targeted the apartment building belonging to the family of New Democracy politician Afroditi Nestora, as well as the individual who provided them with a safe house before and after the terrorist attack. However, according to information reported by Apogeumatini, the investigation is ongoing, as authorities are also searching for at least three more individuals: a young man who allegedly served as a lookout during the deadly attack, and at least two others who carried out the two additional attacks against New Democracy members on the same night.
The Counter-Terrorism unit’s response to the deadly attack was swift — just a week and a half later, officers arrested the terrorists, claiming they have solid, irrefutable evidence against them. As it emerged, the specialized police unit had identified the suspects almost from the very first morning. The terrorists’ critical mistake was that hours before the attack, they walked to the location on foot to conduct surveillance, unknowingly being captured on security cameras. They spent the night at the apartment of a friend — the third suspect — located just 200 meters from the Nestora family home. Shortly before 5:00 a.m., they left the apartment on foot, planted the device, returned to the apartment, changed clothes, and then went their separate ways. The 26-year-old attempted to seek refuge in Chania, while her 29-year-old partner, upon realizing the gravity of the situation following Vagia Nestora’s injury and subsequent death, took emergency leave from work and went into hiding at his own home.
On Friday morning, Counter-Terrorism officers carried out simultaneous operations and arrested all three suspects. Mobile phones, computers, and documents seized from the suspects’ homes have been transferred to forensic laboratories for analysis. The arrested individuals have been uncooperative with investigators.
All three are known to the authorities. The two bombers stand out in particular — especially the 26-year-old woman. On February 8, 2022, she had been arrested as a member of the “Anarchist Action” group and was convicted to a 16-month suspended sentence for an arson attack against the “Foundation for National and Religious Reflection.” Her partner was a member of the Anarchist Council of Thessaloniki and had been brought in as a suspect in connection with arson attacks in 2015 and 2016, though insufficient evidence was found against him at the time. Counter-Terrorism officers are still searching for at least three more individuals, two of whom are believed to be the bombers behind the other two attacks that same night, targeting New Democracy members in Thessaloniki.
