AN Enfield student extradited to Greece to face a charge of manslaughter has been denied bail by a Greek court.
Andrew Symeou, 20, is accused of killing 18-year-old Jonny Hiles, from Cardiff, who died of head injuries in July 2007, after falling off a nightclub podium on the holiday island of Zante.
The court denied bail on Monday because Mr Symeou does not have a permanent address in Greece, campaign group Fair Trials International said.
Mr Symeou, who lives near Enfield Town, could now faces a wait of several months behind bars before his trial begins.
Prosecutors claim Mr Symeou punched Mr Hiles before he fell, but he has strenuously denied the allegation and witnesses have backed his claim that he was not even in the nightclub at the time of the incident.
The Symeou family has been assisted by Fair Trials International since November 2008.
Jago Russell, Chief Executive of Fair Trials International, said: “Despite the major flaws in the case against him, Andrew now faces the prospect of months in a Greek jail before his trial even starts.
“We will continue to work with his Greek lawyer to fight for bail and to persuade the Greek authorities to end this unfounded prosecution.”
Mr Symeou was extradited to Greece to face trial last Thursday after the British courts refused to put a stop to the process.
Fighting the extradition in the High Court in March, Mr Symeou's lawyer alleged that testimonies from two of Mr Symeou’s friends placing him at the scene were extracted by torture from the Greek police and later withdrawn.
He also said that five of Mr Hiles’ friends gave police identical statements naming him as the suspect, which were later contradicted in interviews with Welsh police.
But Peter Caldwell, putting the case for the extradition, said the claims should be put before a Greek court, an argument upheld by the High Court.
The father of Mr Hiles has publicly stated that he wants Mr Symeou to face trial in a Greek court.
Mr Symeou will appeal against the decision not to grant bail.
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