Witnesses recount emergency propofol call in Giorgos Mazonakis death inquiry
Witness statements before an Athens examining magistrate reveal staff panicked, delayed CPR, and called an external specialist asking for an antidote to propofol before Greek singer Giorgos Mazonakis died.
Emergency calls and missing antidotes
Witness testimony delivered before the 32nd regular examining magistrate has detailed the critical moments inside a private clinic on Karneadou Street in Kolonaki during the death of Greek singer Giorgos Mazonakis on 9 September 2026. An external anesthesiologist from the Athens Euroclinic testified that clinic personnel called her in an urgent inquiry to ask if an antidote existed for propofol. The anesthesiologist, who had previously been hired four to five times a year for difficult venipunctures at 150 to 200 euros per visit, confirmed she told them no antidote exists before the phone line immediately disconnected. Propofol is a general anesthetic typically restricted to hospital settings. The lead physician, currently detained in Korydallos prison, continues to maintain that she did not administer sedatives to the singer.
Chronology of the clinic collapse
Depositions from nursing staff present in the room outlined confusion during the procedure. Mazonakis arrived at the clinic at 14:00 for an INUS apheresis treatment, an invasive blood-filtering therapy. Approximately 15 minutes after the procedure began, the attending physician called nurses into the room in visible distress. A 61-year-old nurse testified that when staff entered the room around 16:00, Mazonakis was pale and unresponsive, with blood circulation disconnected from the machine. An initial digital sphygmomanometer reading showed a blood pressure of 110/70 before readings completely failed. Between five and ten minutes elapsed between the initial room alarm and the start of cardiopulmonary resuscitation by a 58-year-old male physician.
The singer sent me a message that he did not have money to pay for the treatment and even so I performed it because he is Mazonakis.
- Giorgos Mazonakis arrives at the clinic on Karneadou Street.
- Attending physician calls nursing staff into the room due to complications.
- Staff measure initial blood pressure at 110/70 before readings disappear.
- Attending doctor initiates CPR following cardiac arrest.
Equipment failures and safety concerns
Staff members also described attempts to revive the singer that encountered equipment issues. A 53-year-old nurse stated that after detecting no pulse, staff administered 1 ml of adrenaline and attempted to deploy a defibrillator, which failed to operate. The nurse contacted the equipment supplier during the emergency, who stated that the device should have been charged and functional with the press of a single button. The same nurse stated she had prior reservations regarding the safety of the multi-hour treatment, noting that previous clinic patients had experienced post-treatment vomiting, dizziness, and swelling.
Defense claims and ongoing inquiry
In her formal deposition, the 56-year-old lead doctor defended the legitimacy of her clinic operations and rejected allegations of improper practice. She testified that Mazonakis was introduced to the therapy through his hypnotherapist and that she agreed to perform the apheresis free of charge after he sent a text message stating he could not afford the treatment. She also stated that she purchased two apheresis machines from a Swiss manufacturer in 2023 and 2025, claiming she believed the certified devices were legal and that she had notified the Athens Medical Association. Both doctors remain in pre-trial custody as magistrates await toxicology analysis and the release of telephone communication records.
