Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Qatargate suspect Eva Kaili to seek to have house arrest lifted soon

Qatargate suspect Eva Kaili to seek to have house arrest lifted soon

The Greek politician also wants to perform her duties at the European Parliament, her lawyer says.
Eva Kaili will soon seek to have her house confinement lifted, her lawyer said, just a day after the politician, one of the main suspects in a corruption probe at the European Parliament, was released from jail to house arrest pending trial.

“We will soon seek for house arrest to be lifted and the [electronic monitoring tag] removed as she is not suspected of running away or other offenses,” her Greek lawyer Michalis Dimitrakopoulos told local Skai TV on Saturday.

He said that Kaili will also seek to “exercise her political duties and rights at the European Parliament.”

The Greek EU lawmaker had been locked up since December, when she became one of the first people arrested and charged with corruption in a sprawling investigation into whether foreign countries, including Qatar and Morocco, were bribing EU lawmakers.

The so-called Qatargate cash-for-influence corruption probe has also ensnared Kaili’s partner, Francesco Giorgi, and several other current and former EU lawmakers, including former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri — the alleged ringleader of a bribery network who struck a plea deal with Belgian investigators in January.

Since then, all the detained suspects have been released with an electronic monitoring tag, leaving Kaili the last to remain in custody. On Friday morning, she left the Haren prison in the north of Brussels for her apartment on Rue Wiertz, about 100 meters from the European Parliament’s main buildings.

Hours after her release on Friday, Kaili recalled her early days in prison and suicidal thoughts she had.

“There were times when I thought I would end the torment,” Kaili told the Greek To Vima newspaper. “I chickened out,” she added. “The thought of my daughter didn’t let me; [it] supported me, gave me the reason to stand up, to fight to prove that I am innocent, so that my daughter would not be ashamed of me.”

She has maintained her innocence throughout the process and pledged to continue to fight the charges.

“I will not succumb. If I fail to convince the Belgian justice system that I am innocent, I will never return to my country, I will be ashamed to look into the eyes of the people I have been with since I was a high school student,” Kaili told To Vima.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×