
A dramatic turn has been recorded in the trial for the murder of 33-year-old Erjon Pelivani, in Greece.
The 33-year-old was executed by his brother-in-law, Fatmir Tarellari, after his niece's claims that she had been raped by him.
New testimony from the defendant's daughter has shed light on the falsification of the messages that led to the tragedy. In a hearing held on Friday at the Larissa Court, the 19-year-old admitted that she had falsified the text messages to convince her father that her uncle had abused her.
The tragic event occurred on January 9, 2024, when Fatmir Tarellari, after seeing his daughter's messages, killed his brother-in-law, Erjon Pelivani, near a cement factory, just outside Volos. Tarellari shot him dead, using a hunting rifle, after being convinced by his daughter that the 33-year-old had blackmailed and abused him.
According to Greek police investigations, the incident began when Tarellari received a call from the owner of the apartment where his student daughter lived.
The landlady informed Tarellari that her daughter had not paid the rent, even though he had been sending her the money regularly. After that, his 19-year-old daughter explained that she had been forced to give money to her uncle, as he was blackmailing her with intimate photos.
She showed her father several SMS messages, which were edited to create the impression that the 33-year-old was the blackmailer and abuser. Tarellari, blindly trusting his daughter, fell into the trap and killed his brother-in-law.
A subsequent investigation by the Greek Police Criminal Investigation Department confirmed that the messages sent by the girl were fabricated, leading to the collapse of the entire investigation. During her testimony in court, the 19-year-old admitted that she had faked the messages to convince her father that Erjon Pelivani was the abuser and blackmailer.
At the hearing, defendant Fatmir Tarellari said he felt sorry for the incident.
The trial continues and further details are expected during future hearings, while investigations are underway to fully clarify the incident.