[Regnum] A Syrian man with a knife and a Koran was detained by police in Athens, Greece, in the Church of St. Panteleimon. The Proto Theme news portal reported this on October 19The church is located near the National Archaeological Museum, and the area around the church is also named after the saint - Agios Panteleimonas. Information about a man who was acting suspiciously was received by the police in the evening from a church watchman.
When the police arrived at the church, the man suddenly resisted the police and began shouting “Allahu Akbar.” Members of the Crime Prevention and Suppression Group immobilized the man and searched him. A backpack containing a knife and a Koran was found on the detainee.
According to preliminary data, a 24-year-old Syrian man was previously detained in a similar situation. Last time he went into the church and began to read the Koran. It is noted that the man had previously undergone a psychiatric examination, but his detention was not considered necessary.
The man was taken to the local police station to clarify all the circumstances of the incident; the investigation is ongoing.
In Greece, amid the worsening situation in the Middle East, security measures have been strengthened.
Earlier , IA Regnum reported that a man armed with a knife, who was planning to attack a person near a synagogue, was detained by police in France. The incident occurred in Cannes in the south of France. According to the BFMTV channel, the man was waiting for his victim near the synagogue, but when he attempted to attack a passerby, having previously taken out a knife, the police nearby intervened.