By Ashton Becker

Twenty-two year old Bakari Henderson of Austin, Texas was murdered in Greece while on a business trip in July of 2017. He was the victim of a brutal and unwarranted attack. His life was taken all because of a selfie. Yes, a selfie. 

A woman reported to authorities that she asked to take a selfie with Henderson while waitressing at a bar and this drew negative attention from other male customers. 

“There are a lot of Serbs in the bar. Why are you talking to a black guy?,” one said.

The man then hit Henderson in the face, Henderson hesitated, hit back and ran out of the bar.

The attacker and eight other men proceeded to chase Henderson down the street and beat him against the car and on the ground. He suffered fatal blows to the head. They killed him within a matter of 30 seconds. The altercation was caught on surveillance video. 

In 2018, the nine men went on trial. Six of them were charged with intentional homicide, a charge which carries a life sentence in Greece, but they were only found guilty of an assault charge. Each were sentenced to five to 15 years, however, at least four of the suspects have already been released. The other three men were acquitted. 

Unlike the U.S., citizens of Greece can be tried twice for the same crime. The retrial, which had been postponed two years due to COVID-19, is set to take place on Feb. 21. Seven of the nine attackers will be tried again. Parents of Henderson, Jill and Phil Henderson, will travel to Greece again to be present for the trial  as they continue to seek justice for their late son. 

Henderson’s death drew international attention. It is a case that has raised many questions no doubt. Why did a group of men chase down someone in the street and beat them to death over a selfie? Was this an issue of xenophobia? Race? Jealousy? Drunken rage? No matter the motive, a bigger question remains, one that has been haunting the Hendersons the past four years; where is the justice for Bakari? 

This is an incredibly alarming case. A brutal attack and murder caught on video and witnesses to corroborate the story, yet no murder charge for any of the nine men who hold responsibility for the death. A foreign court ignoring and furthermore denying factual evidence in aim of saving their own from life behind bars. Regardless of nationality, citizenship or race, Henderson was a human being first and foremost. 

The Greek court has dishonored his memory and deprived his family of a rightful sentencing by treating him as if he was less than so. Are people really willing to disobey their duty to uphold the law and cast their ethics to the side in order to appease a group of murderers? The past actions and decisions of the Greek court seem to point to yes, but this has yet to be determined as the Hendersons and the public anxiously await the outcome of the retrial and the fate of the attackers. 

Photo via Flickr