The investigation into the sudden death of Giorgos Mazonakis, one of Greece’s most popular singers of the past three decades, has become a major topic of public discussion in Greece and Cyprus.
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On the evening of September 10, a significant development occurred in the investigation – Greek authorities detained two doctors connected to a private medical clinic operating in central Athens, where Mazonakis had come for a scheduled plasmapheresis, but unexpectedly suffered a cardiac arrest there.
Both doctors have been charged with a criminal offense under Greek law – dangerous acts or omissions resulting in death. The case should now be forwarded to the prosecutor’s office and further examined according to legal procedures.
During the tragedy investigation, police gained access to the private clinic’s computers. It was revealed that the doctors attempted to delete Mazonakis’s visit records from the system. Law enforcement officers recovered these records, but the time of the artist’s arrival at the clinic was altered.
The death of the 54-year-old performer remains a major news topic in both countries where Mazonakis was extremely popular. This story is also being followed by the media throughout the Balkan region.
Currently, the focus is on the circumstances leading up to his death. Giorgos Mazonakis had come to a private medical clinic in central Athens for a scheduled plasmapheresis – a specialized treatment procedure that removes plasma from the blood. However, he suddenly collapsed, reports euronews.com.
Now the institutions must answer many important questions: what exactly was planned, whether the procedure had actually started, who was responsible for it, what assessment of the patient’s health condition was made before the procedure, and whether the clinic had the necessary license, proper equipment, and qualified staff.
At the same time, the forensic examination should determine the cause of death and help clarify whether it is in any way related to what happened at the clinic.
Three decades on the Greek music scene
Giorgos Mazonakis was born in the Nikaia district of Piraeus in 1972 and was one of the most prominent performers on the Greek music scene for over 30 years.
He began singing professionally at a young age. In 1992, performing at a nightclub in Patras, he was noticed by the record company PolyGram, and the following year he released his first album.
In later years, he became one of the best-recognized contemporary Greek laïko music performers. This is a style of popular and folk music that developed in the 1960s and 1970s. Mazonakis released many commercially successful hits and regularly performed in the country’s nightclubs and live music events.
Outside Greece, Mazonakis had a large fan base in Cyprus and among Greek diaspora communities. He performed in Germany, Australia, and the United States.
In recent years, he was also a judge on the popular show The Voice of Greece.
His popularity was not limited to Greek-speaking audiences – especially in the Balkans. As early as 2012, he performed in Sofia, returned to the Bulgarian capital in 2023, and held a concert in Tirana in December 2024.
The news of his death was immediately reported by the media in Bulgaria and Albania.
What the police are investigating
One of the main questions investigators seek to answer is what exactly happened before the man’s heart stopped and whether the planned treatment procedure had already begun.
According to Greek media reports, the doctor responsible for Mazonakis’s treatment testified to officials that the plasmapheresis had not yet started and that his condition suddenly worsened while preparations for the procedure were underway.
In the same reports, based on her testimony, it is stated that Mazonakis had also visited the clinic the previous day. The doctor reportedly indicated that his condition was already deteriorating then and mentioned speech impairments in the patient.
Therefore, investigators should clarify what symptoms were recorded, what tests were performed, what the patient’s medical history was, and on what basis it was decided that the planned procedure could be carried out.
The doctor’s husband, also a doctor and the registered owner of the medical clinic, reportedly told investigators that he did not treat Mazonakis himself, and that the singer’s treatment was handled by his wife.
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New police investigation data has raised even more questions about what happened inside the clinic.
On Thursday, police conducted a lengthy search of the premises and seized digital devices, documents, medical supplies, and other materials. Later, searches were also carried out at the doctors’ homes.
According to the Greek national television ERT news service ERTnews, emergency medical personnel told investigators that when they arrived at the clinic, the plasmapheresis machine was operating. It was also reported that an initial technical inspection showed the machine had been on for 45 minutes during its last use. A more detailed examination should determine exactly when the machine was used.
The police are also investigating discrepancies in the timeline of events. It is reported that the doctor stated Mazonakis arrived at the clinic around 4:30 p.m., although emergency services were called before that. Investigators believe the singer may have been at the clinic for at least three hours.
After reviewing new evidence, both doctors were detained and charged with dangerous acts or omissions resulting in death.
Greek Health Minister: “Very complex procedure”
A separate investigation is being conducted regarding the clinic’s license and operating conditions.
Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis stated that the facility was registered as a simple internal medicine doctor’s practice, not a clinic.
In initial comments, he said that, in his assessment, plasmapheresis is not allowed in such a doctor’s practice and called on the Athens Medical Association to conduct an immediate inspection.
On Thursday, he returned to this issue and described plasmapheresis as a “very complex” procedure, which, he said, is performed “only in hospitals.”
The minister emphasized from the start that the exact cause of death and whether anyone could be held legally responsible will have to be determined by forensic examination and a broader investigation.
“Specialized medical procedure”
On Thursday, during inspections by police and representatives of the Athens Medical Association, two plasmapheresis machines were found in the clinic. Greek media report that these machines were not listed during the association’s inspections in 2024 and 2025. It also remains unclear whether the necessary permits were obtained for them.
The president of the Athens Medical Association, Giorgos Patoulis, previously stated that the premises were licensed as an internal medicine doctor’s practice and that the association had no data about such equipment.
He also emphasized that plasmapheresis is a “specialized medical procedure” that requires not only proper equipment but also specially trained staff and conditions that meet certain standards.
However, the doctors’ lawyer claims that the machines were properly declared to the Medical Association and that the clinic operated legally.
Greek media also raise questions about the legal framework regulating the performance of specialized medical procedures in private doctors’ practices. It is expected that the Central Health Council will examine this issue and the conditions under which such therapeutic procedures can be performed.
What is plasmapheresis?
Therapeutic plasmapheresis (therapeutic plasma exchange) is a procedure during which blood flows through a special machine that separates and removes plasma, while red and white blood cells and platelets are returned to the body. The removed plasma is replaced with a special solution.
According to doctors Konstantinos Giannako and Thanos Dimopoulos of the Therapeutic Clinic of Athens University, cited by the Athens-Macedonia news agency, this method has specific therapeutic indications and is used, among other things, to treat certain severe hematological, neurological, and immunological diseases.
Before the procedure, the patient’s condition must be assessed, and during it, blood pressure, heart rate, and blood oxygen saturation must be continuously monitored. When properly performed and under established conditions, plasmapheresis is generally considered a safe procedure, but it can cause adverse reactions – from blood pressure drops and hypocalcemia to, in rarer cases, allergic reactions, bleeding, or heart rhythm disturbances.
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