



Six men have been convicted of various assault charges and sentenced by a Greek court on Thursday for the brutal beating death of American Bakari Henderson.

Henderson died after being beaten in the street following an argument in a bar in the popular Laganas resort area of Zakynthos island in July 2017.

His parents were in the courtroom on Thursday as the sentences, ranging from five to 15 years in prison, were handed down.

After the sentencing, Phil Henderson told CBS News outside the court that he, “can’t understand, a man’s life here in Greece doesn’t mean anything.”

“You should not be able to chase a man down and beat him to death and not go to jail,” his wife added, before breaking down in tears.

The prosecution was seeking a murder conviction for six of the suspects, complicity to murder for one of the others and causing bodily harm for the remaining two.

It says it will appeal the verdict.

There were nine defendants on trial — seven Serbian nationals, one Greek and a Brit of Serbian origin. Three were exonerated, and all claimed they had not intended to kill Henderson.

The British national was given the most severe sentence, of up to 15 years in prison for causing grievous bodily harm. One of the Serbs was sentenced to 10 years, three got seven years and another five years, all for lesser assault charges.



