The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has removed a video featuring an Afghan man accused of murdering a Scottish woman and hiding her body in a suitcase as legal proceedings continue in Greece.
Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, appeared at the Court of First Instance in Athens after being charged in connection with the death of Elisabeth-Jane “Lisa” Ross, 38. Ross’s body was discovered inside a suitcase in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of Athens by a homeless man.
The IFRC confirmed it was taking down a short documentary featuring Ahmadzai because of the ongoing court case.
“Thank you for getting in touch about this extremely distressing story,” a charity spokesman told GB News. “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family and friends of Elisabeth-Jane Ross. The video will shortly no longer be publicly accessible. We will keep this under review as the court proceedings continue.”
In reaction to the video, Elon Musk posted, slamming the Red Cross: "The Red Cross has far more positive branding than it deserves. As organizations go, they would be on the leaderboard for suicidal empathy."
The video, titled “Game of Life: The Story of Sharif,” was published on YouTube in December 2016. It documented Ahmadzai’s journey from Afghanistan to Greece after arriving on the island of Lesbos by dinghy.
The film described his six-week journey as "worthy of a Hollywood movie" and detailed claims that his father was killed in a Taliban ambush while his mother and sibling died in a suicide bombing. It also showed how he was smuggled through Iran and Turkey before reaching the Moria refugee camp. Ahmadzai, who converted to Christianity after arriving in Greece, remained silent during his court appearance and did not enter a plea.
His lawyer, Christos Erdas, said they were waiting for additional medical evidence before proceeding. "The reason for the silence is because we are waiting in the near future for some more documents and evidence to come to the judge," Erdas told reporters. "All of them are related to medical documents from the doctor who examined Lisa’s body."
Erdas said the cause of Ross’s death has not yet been established and that further medical information was needed. He also requested Ross’s medical records from Scotland and the UK as part of the case. Greek police previously said there were no visible signs of injury or harm on Ross’s body when it was found, with further testing underway.
Police Scotland said it was aware of the death and was working with Greek authorities. “Officers are providing support to her family in Scotland,” a spokesperson said.
