Testimonies from prison staff and inmates describe chaos at Korydallos prison Friday after authorities moved to transfer Turkish inmate Ramazan Baygara, for extradition to Turkey.
According to case documents, 31-year-old Baygara, identified as an alleged crime-group leader, was informed he would be taken to Athens airport. Shortly afterward, inmates in the E wing set fire to mattresses and other items, filling cells and corridors with smoke.
A prison officer said inmates threw chairs and tables onto a staircase, preventing staff from reaching the blaze as it spread through the wing. Staff later extinguished the fire and moved inmates to safety, while police entered the prison after the disturbance. Authorities say 45 inmates, most of them Turkish, are accused of involvement.
One inmate said he joined after being threatened with stabbing, and another admitted starting a fire.
