Store owners receive maximum sentence for death of LGBTQ activist Zak Kostopoulos

The owner of a jewelry store and a real estate office were placed under terms of detention on Tuesday after being found guilty over  beating to death LGBTQ community activist Zacharias (Zak) Kostopoulos in 2018.

The two men were served the maximum jail sentence (10 years) for grievous bodily harm resulting in the death of Kostopoulos, 33. Serving the full sentence will be the jeweller, while the realtor will be detained at home due to his age (77).

In its decision, the court also refused to recognize mitigating circumstances for the two businessmen, or to serve a suspended sentence.

Kostopoulos died after an altercation in the jewelry shop in downtown Athens. The two business owners claimed they had tried to detain him after he tried to rob the store and before police arrived. Kostopoulos died of multiple injuries after his detention by police, which was also criticized by the prosecutor at the time for using undue force to detain him. 

In his summary calling for jailing, the prosecutor said that "the two have shown no regrets - on the contrary, they appear not to have comprehended the criminality of their deed." Kostopoulos, hesaid, "never attacked the defendants, since he was trapped and they were safe. It was proven they attacked him. Their actions and behavior show that no mitigating circumstance must be allowed for either."

Zak Kostopoulos entered the jeweler's store running in distress under circustances unknown, while the owner was outside chating. The owner then proceeded to lock Kostopoulos in, and the latter tried to break the shop window to exit. During his attempt the two men proceeded to kick him violently in the head. Kostopoulos then managed to exit wielding a shard of the window, while police officers managed to pin him down. Kostopoulos expired on the way to hospital and coroners ruled that his death wa due to the injuries he had received during his beating by the two shop owners.