A young Syrian man was detained after seen carrying a knife in Agios Panteleimonas, the main parish church of the Acharnes district of Athens.
The situation escalated after the local priest grew suspicious of the man’s behaviour and decided to alert the police.
The man, who holds Syrian citizenship, caught the attention of OPKE officers called to Agios Panteleimonas shortly before 8pm on Thursday, after exhibiting distressed and aggressive behaviour.
According to reports from the scene published in newsit.gr, the man, upon entering the church, knelt down and began to pray.
However, he began shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is great). The man kept shouting as he resisted arrest.
Upon searching his backpack, law enforcement discovered a knife measuring 24 centimeters.
The man was subsequently taken to a police station, where a prosecutor ordered his transfer to a psychiatric hospital.
According to a previous AMNA report the 24-year-old Syrian national has been residing in Athens for some time and has come to the attention of the police due to several incidents in the recent past. During the Easter period, he reentered the Agios Panteleimonas church during a liturgy and began reading the Quran.
Legal action was taken against him, and he was “administratively deported” for reasons related to public safety.
In another unusual incident involving verbally provoking bystanders, he was ordered to undergo a psychiatric examination for public safety reasons, although detention was not deemed necessary.
Lastely, about 20 days ago, he reportedly set fire to the “Gardener’s House,” which belongs to the Municipality, prompting an ongoing investigation by the fire brigade.
With AMNA, newsit.gr
