ATHENS – Two fishermen will stand trial on murder charges of former minister Iossif (“Sifis”) Valyrakis in January 2021, it was announced on Thursday.

The two fishermen allegedly argued with him and hit him with a wooden staff while he was in the sea, off Eretria in Evia.

A decision by the Misdemeanors Council of Chalkida, on Evia, referred the two men to trial on charges of premeditated homicide while in a calm state of mind, following the approval of a prosecutor’s proposal calling for the prosecution of the two fishermen over the death of the retired and widely respected politician of PASOK, aged 79.

Valyrakis’ family lawyers expressed satisfaction about the step, as the case file proves that his death “was not due to an accident, as some some people tried to present it, but to murder, premeditated homicide with direct deceit,” while the two fishermen “tried to shake off their responsibilities.”