A Greek court last week cleared nine men of the murder of American student Bakari Henderson, who was brutally beaten to death by the group last year.

However, the court still found the men guilty of assault against Bakari Henderson, the 22-year-old American student who was killed.

The court in western Greece issued sentences ranging from five to 15 years for the assailants, although three of the assailants were cleared of any jail time.

Henderson, from Austin, Texas, was in Greece as part of a photography shoot, and was studying at the University of Arizona.


The scuffle initially began in a bar when a female bartender began talking with Henderson, who is black. According to the bartender, a man standing nearby asked, “There are a lot of Serbs in the bar. Why are you talking to a black guy?” The man then proceeded to punch Henderson, sparking the fight.

A number of other men quickly joined, ganging up on Henderson, and eventually killing the American.

The decision to clear all of the assailants — almost all of whom were Serbian nationals, except for one British citizen — infuriated Henderson’s parents.

“If someone can be murdered and there is no justice, what makes you think that you can send your child to another country and be safe?, said Jill Henderson, Bakari’s mother.

“A man’s life here in Greece doesn’t mean anything,” added Bakari’s father, Phil Henderson.