The Greek court has granted bail to James Dalamagkas, a 56-year-old Greek-Australian man accused by Australian authorities of the 1999 murder of fellow Greek national George Yiannopoulos in Sydney. Dalamagkas will now be released from Agios Stefanos Prison under strict conditions pending a decision by the Patras Council of Appeal on whether to extradite him to Australia.
Bail Conditions and Legal Context
According to ERT, the court approved his release on the condition that he remains in Greece and reports every 15 days to a local police station. The decision comes despite serious allegations tied to a homicide committed over 27 years ago — a crime that would otherwise be time-barred under Greek law, where certain offenses are subject to a 25-year statute of limitations.
Australia Seeks Extradition
Australia is actively seeking Dalamagkas’s extradition so he can stand trial in Sydney, where the alleged crime occurred. Authorities there have long considered him one of the country’s most wanted fugitives due to his suspected involvement in the casino shooting that killed Yiannopoulos.
Background and Timeline
After the 1999 incident, Dalamagkas reportedly fled Australia and settled in Aigio, Greece, where he lived for years before his recent arrest. He had been held at Agios Stefanos Prison pending the appellate court’s ruling on extradition — a process that could determine whether he faces trial abroad for a decades-old case.