Afghan Man Accused of Killing British Aid Worker Reportedly Beaten in Greek Prison

An Afghan national accused of murdering Scottish aid worker Elisabeth Ross and concealing her body in a suitcase has reportedly been badly beaten by fellow inmates inside one of Greece’s toughest prisons.

Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, was transferred to Korydallos prison after being charged in August with homicide with intent, robbery and weapons offences in connection with Ross’s death.

According to custodial sources, the former champion boxer was attacked by other prisoners soon after arriving at the notorious facility and was later taken to the prison infirmary.

“He was subject to fierce attack and was badly beaten up,” a source told The Sun.

Another source claimed that other inmates quickly targeted Ahmadzai because of the allegations against him.

“Inmates don’t like lady killers and they soon made that known,” the source said.

Ahmadzai denies murdering Elisabeth Ross

Ross, 38, was found dead on July 18 after her remains were discovered inside a suitcase at a derelict car park in Kypseli, central Athens.

The condition of the body meant that it took several days for investigators to formally identify her.

Ross had arrived in Greece on June 26 and disappeared on July 15.

Ahmadzai, who came to Greece as a child migrant, has denied killing her. He has claimed that he found Ross already dead inside her apartment, which she rented from a charity he operated for refugees.

However, police testimony reportedly included an admission from Ahmadzai that he moved Ross’s body and later used her bank cards to withdraw more than €10,000 from ATMs in Athens.

That account has done little to convince some of those inside Korydallos.

“Let’s just say that a lot of people at Korydallos don’t believe his story,” another insider said.

The source questioned why someone who had supposedly discovered Ross already dead would move her body, take her money and fail to alert authorities.

Wife’s testimony proved crucial to the investigation

A key development in the investigation came from Ahmadzai’s American wife, Alaina Hall, who shares a young child with him.

Before Ross had been formally identified, Ahmadzai had admitted sending what police described as “misleading” text messages from the missing woman’s phone to her family and friends.

Hall later contacted police after becoming suspicious about a series of events surrounding her husband.

She told investigators that she woke on the evening of July 15 and discovered Ahmadzai was missing. When she checked his location, it showed that he was at Ross’s apartment.

She also said Ahmadzai had given her €2,550 (£2,200) and a new iPhone 17 Pro.

Hall feared the items could have been purchased using Ross’s stolen bank cards, prompting her to alert authorities.

Greek police later described her testimony as crucial to the arrest.

“The testimony of the wife has been crucial,” police told The Times, adding that Hall appeared unwilling to become involved in the alleged crime.

Investigators also relied on CCTV footage to track Ahmadzai.

“Without her and CCTV evidence, we would not have been able to find this man,” police said.

Facing up to 18 months in Korydallos

Ahmadzai is now being held at Korydallos, Greece’s largest prison, while he awaits trial.

Under Greek law, he could remain in pre-trial detention for up to 18 months.

The prison is notorious for housing some of the country’s most hardened offenders, including terrorists and convicted rapists.

According to sources, the alleged assault happened not long after Ahmadzai arrived at the facility.

It remains unclear whether he has sought a transfer to another detention centre in Greece.

One source said any such request would be confidential but suggested there was little sympathy for the accused man among other prisoners.

“For obvious reasons that’s confidential,” the source said. “But what’s certain is the feeling that he has shown no remorse.”

The source also described an unwritten hierarchy inside Korydallos, where prisoners are governed by their own code of conduct.

“In Korydallos there’s an unspoken code, a sort of justice system, governed by the toughest. He has felt the full force of it.”

The case surrounding Elisabeth Ross

Ross’s body was discovered on July 18 inside a suitcase at a derelict site in Kypseli, days after she vanished.

The investigation subsequently focused on Ahmadzai, with police examining CCTV footage, financial transactions and testimony from his wife.

He was arrested and jailed in August after being charged with homicide with intent, robbery and weapons offences.

The allegations against him remain allegations, and Ahmadzai has denied murdering Ross.

For now, he remains in custody at Korydallos as the case moves towards trial — while reports of an alleged attack inside the prison have added another disturbing chapter to the investigation into the death of the 38-year-old Scottish aid worker.