Afghan asylum seeker charged in murder of Scottish volunteer

A 26-year-old Afghan migrant granted asylum in Greece has been formally charged in connection with the murder of a Scottish charity worker whose body was found in a suitcase in Athens last month. Sharif Ahmadzai appeared before an investigating magistrate on Wednesday, August 5, and was given another day to prepare his defense, with a decision on his pretrial detention expected on Thursday.

The victim, Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, from Edinburgh, was discovered on July 18 wrapped in black fabric inside a green suitcase in a derelict building in the Kypseli district. She had been reported missing three days earlier, on July 15. A homeless man found her remains. Authorities said decomposition prevented pathologists from determining an exact cause of death, though asphyxiation has not been ruled out.

Ahmadzai denies killing Ross but has reportedly admitted to moving her body in the suitcase and using her bank cards to withdraw more than 10,000 euros. He initially told investigators he found her dead or dying in her bathroom and panicked. Police, however, allege a calculated cover-up. They say he used Ross's phone after her death to send messages to her friends and family, claiming she...