Suspect in Greek Orthodox priest’s shooting freed, search widens in France

·

French police on Sunday released an initial suspect in the shooting of a Greek Orthodox priest and widened their search for the gunman who critically wounded the priest as he closed the door to his official residence at a church in the city of Lyon.

The Lyon prosecutor’s office said a man who was arrested shortly after Saturday’s shooting was released after they found no evidence of his involvement, suggesting that the clergyman’s assailant remained at large.

The priest remained in critical condition after being shot with a hunting rifle, said a police official, who was not authorised to be publicly named according to police policy.

French soldiers and Municipal Police officers stand behind a cordon-off area near the Orthodox Church. File: Jeff Pachoud/AFP.

READ MORE: Suspect at large after Orthodox priest shot in France.

The Greek Orthodox Holy Diocese of France identified the victim as the Reverend Nikolaos Kakavelakis, and said he was scheduled to return soon to Greece after his time working at the Lyon church.

“We pray for a speedy recovery and unequivocally condemn all forms of violence,” it said.

The motive for the shooting remains unclear. Anti-terrorism prosecutors are not investigating the case, and the Lyon prosecutor opened an attempted murder investigation.

The Greek Orthodox Holy Diocese of France identified the victim as the Reverend Nikolaos Kakavelakis.

Police cordons in the vicinity of the church, located in a residential area of central Lyon, were removed and the search area was widened to the broader Lyon area, the national police service said.

France has been under high security alert after the killing of three people at a Nice church on Thursday, amid global tensions over cartoons of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad published in a French newspaper. The French President has promised more protection for religious sites.

It also came amid tensions within the Greek Orthodox community in Lyon. The priest, a Greek citizen, had been involved in a long-running legal dispute with a former monk who was convicted of defamation, according to French media reports.

The head of the Greek Orthodox Church in France, Emmanuel Adamakis, told French radio station Europe 1 that Kakavelakis was no longer conducting services in Lyon and “had been asked to return to Greece.”

The attack appeared to have taken place in a small courtyard in the back of the church, where the priest had been living in an official church apartment, Adamakis said.

Antoine Callot, the pastor at another Greek Orthodox church in Lyon, told The Associated Press that the city’s Greek Orthodox community has not received any threats, but said he immediately asked police for security protection at his church after Saturday’s shooting.

Source: AP News.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

From crisis to compassion: Timos Roussos and his family’s mercy mission in war-torn Cyprus

When Turkish troops landed on Cyprus on 20 July 1974, six-year-old Timos Roussos was sitting on the floor of his family’s home in Lemesos.

A granddaughter returns: Georgia Georgiou retraces her yiayia’s occupied village in Cyprus

When Georgia Georgiou handed over her Cypriot ID at the border checkpoint to cross into occupied northern Cyprus, she felt an ache.

‘You never get over it’: A childhood shattered by the Turkish invasion of Cyprus

On a warm July morning in 1974, 10-year-old Anastasia Di Loreto (née Karatzia) was jolted awake by the sound of bombs falling on Kyrenia.

Cyprus: The paradox of tolerance and impunity for Turkey

The lack of a unified, systematic and practical strategy on the part of Greece has led the Cyprus crisis into national disarray.

Lost homes and lingering hope: Greek-Cypriots reflect on Turkish invasion and its aftermath

From hidden stories to haunting memories, two Greek-Cypriot men share what it means to carry the burden of Cyprus’ past.

You May Also Like

Homeless refugees reject new camp on Lesvos, call for resettlement

Greek authorities are struggling to persuade refugees displaced by the Moria refugee camp fire to move to a new temporary site.

29th Greek Film Festival in Melbourne ends with over 7,000 tickets sold

The 29th Greek Film Festival (GFF) in Melbourne reached its grand finale in style at the historic Astor Theatre on Sunday, October 27.

National Committee announced for 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia recently announced the selections for the National Committee of the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution.