Greece: Suspects in foiled Passover attack appear in court

Two men accused of planning a Passover attack on a Jewish center in central Athens are appearing in court to answer to terrorism charges

Greece Terrorism (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Two men accused of planning a Passover attack on a Jewish center in central Athens appeared in court Friday to answer to terrorism charges.

Greek authorities announced the arrests of the suspects earlier this week and described the men as being of Pakistani origin.

Police alleged they were planning to attack the Chabad of Athens center, which is part of Judaism's international Chabad-Lubavitch movement. The center hosts religious services, as well as a kosher restaurant and grocery.

Passover, one of the most important Jewish holidays, starts next Wednesday at sundown.

Investigators are trying to determine if the suspects were planning attacks at other locations. Police have searched multiple sites in Athens as well as in southern Greece and on the western island of Zakynthos.

The men arrested are scheduled to appear before a public prosecutor, who is expected to order their pretrial detention.

A third man, who is not in Greece, is wanted for questioning and has been charged with terrorism-related offenses in absentia.

Israel has thanked the Greek government for its response and said that its national intelligence agency, Mossad, had provided information about the suspects.