Calle Jonsson

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Calle Jonsson, born 9 June 1983 in Långträsk, Sweden, was arrested in July 2001 on the Greek island of Kos. He was accused of stabbing a waiter, Christoforos Serdaris, during a holiday. Jonsson denied the charges and stayed in custody until February 2002, when he was released on bail and returned to Sweden.

In November 2003 a Swedish court ordered him to return to Greece to face trial. His family said Serdaris had asked for money and the case began after the offer was refused. Jonsson did not attend the trial, saying he did not trust the Greek justice system.

In autumn 2004 Greece issued a European arrest warrant for Jonsson. Sweden’s Supreme Court approved the extradition in November 2004, the first time a Swedish citizen was extradited under the 2004 EU law. He was handed over to Greek authorities in January 2005 after he appealed to Swedish authorities.

The trial on the island of Rhodes heard that Jonsson attacked Serdaris. DNA tests showed Serdaris’s blood on the shirt Jonsson was wearing, but Jonsson claimed police had contaminated the clothes. Serdaris initially did not identify Jonsson as the attacker. The jury found Jonsson not guilty on 12 April 2005 and he was released.

In November 2006 the Greek Court of Cassation ordered a retrial. The trial was planned for November 2007 but postponed because Jonsson did not appear, following his lawyer’s advice, and a strike by Greek lawyers also contributed. In April 2009 Greek officials charged Jonsson and his parents with perjury, false statements, and aggravated defamation. His lawyer called the charges ridiculous. The case drew parallels to another Swedish case in Greece and sparked calls for Swedish tourists to boycott Greece, though experts expected little impact on tourism.