An Afghan man accused of murdering a Scottish charity worker and hiding her body in a suitcase has appeared before a court in Athens.

The body of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, from Edinburgh, was discovered by a homeless man inside an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of the Greek capital on July 18.

The suspect, widely identified by Greek media as Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, an Afghan boxer, appeared before the court on Wednesday under heavy police escort. Greek authorities have not officially confirmed his identity.

The hearing was held behind closed doors, during which the suspect was assigned a court-appointed lawyer. He is expected to return to court on Thursday for a further hearing.

According to Greek police, the suspect was initially arrested on illegal weapons possession charges before prosecutors filed additional charges of murder and theft. Investigators allege he stole more than €10,000 from Ross’s bank accounts using her bank cards after her death.

Police said the suspect has admitted moving Ross’s body but denies killing her.

Investigators identified the suspect after reviewing surveillance footage recorded near the abandoned building where the suitcase containing Ross’s body was found.

Authorities also allege that after Ross’s death, the suspect used her mobile phone to send messages to her friends and family before switching it off.

Greek media reports further claim he later purchased another phone and sent messages to Ross’s friends in Athens, including his wife, while posing as an unnamed jihadist who falsely claimed responsibility for the killing because of Ross’s religion.

According to local reports, the suspect’s wife became suspicious after discovering he had not returned home and later tracked his phone to the apartment where Ross had been staying before her disappearance.

The investigation into the killing is continuing.

Former US special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has criticised Pakistan’s current situation three years after the imprisonment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying the country has become worse off and needs a major political reset.

In a post on X marking the third anniversary of Khan’s imprisonment, Khalilzad questioned whether the move had benefited Pakistan, despite some foreign policy achievements.

“Are Pakistanis and the country better off than they were three years ago? The answer is clearly no,” Khalilzad wrote.

He said Pakistan’s economy was facing an “unsustainable” crisis, with the government struggling to secure financial assistance. He also pointed to worsening security conditions, saying Balochistan was experiencing a major insurgency, while Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also facing violence.

Khalilzad further argued that Pakistan’s foreign relations had suffered setbacks, particularly with Afghanistan and India.

“Overall, the situation is dire and a reset is required,” he said, adding that such a reset should include “internal reconciliation.”

Imran Khan, Pakistan’s former prime minister and leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has been imprisoned since August 2023 after being convicted in several cases, which his supporters describe as politically motivated. Pakistani authorities have rejected those claims.

Abdul Hai Qanit, Director of the Strategic Studies Center of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has said that major powers such as the United States, China, and Russia shape the course of global affairs, including matters of war and peace, leaving smaller countries to align their foreign policies with the decisions and strategies of these powers.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Qanit categorized countries into three groups: major powers, middle powers, and small states. He said middle powers—including Türkiye, India, Iran, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, and Brazil—are influenced by the policies of major powers but retain significant influence in shaping political dynamics within their respective regions.

According to Qanit, small states generally pursue one of three foreign policy strategies: balancing between rival powers, aligning with a major power, or adopting a hedging strategy by maintaining relations with multiple major or regional powers without fully committing to any single side.

Referring to the recent conflict between the United States and Iran, Qanit cited Oman as a successful example of a small state employing a hedging strategy. He said Oman maintained relations with the United States, Western countries, and Iran simultaneously, enabling it to safeguard its security while also playing a constructive mediating role during the crisis.

Qanit concluded by saying that small states have limited choices in the international system and that achieving success requires strategic planning, adequate resources, institutional capacity, and prudent leadership.