The investigation into the sudden death of Giorgos Mazonakis, one of the most popular Greek singers of the past three decades, is at the centre of public debate in Greece and Cyprus.
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The death of the 54-year-old artist remains the leading story in the news in both countries, where Mazonakis enjoyed huge popularity, while media outlets across the Balkans are also following the case.
Attention has now shifted to the circumstances that preceded his death. Giorgos Mazonakis had gone to a private medical practice in central Athens for a scheduled plasmapheresis, a specialised therapeutic procedure to remove blood plasma, before suddenly collapsing.
The authorities must now answer a series of critical questions: what exactly had been planned, whether the procedure had in fact begun, who was in charge of it, what medical assessment had preceded it, and whether the premises had the required licence, the appropriate equipment and specialised staff.
At the same time, the forensic examination is expected to determine the cause of death and help clarify whether there is any link to what happened at the practice.
Three decades on the Greek music scene
Giorgos Mazonakis was born in Nikaia, Piraeus, in 1972 and stood at the forefront of Greek music for more than 30 years.
He began singing professionally at a young age. In 1992, while performing at a night-time venue in Patras, he was spotted by the record company PolyGram and the following year released his first album.
In the years that followed, he became one of the most recognisable figures in contemporary Greek laïko music, a pop-folk Greek music style from the 50s and 60s, delivering a string of commercial hits and maintaining a constant presence on the country’s nightlife and live music circuit.
Beyond Greece, Mazonakis had a strong fanbase in Cyprus and among Greek diaspora communities, with performances in Germany, Australia and the United States.
In recent years, he has also been a judge on the popular programme The Voice of Greece.
His appeal extended beyond Greek-speaking audiences, particularly in the Balkans. He had appeared in Sofia as early as 2012 and returned for a concert in 2023, while in December 2024, he performed in Tirana.
News of his death was reported immediately by media outlets in Bulgaria and Albania.
Abrupt deterioration of his condition
One of the main issues the authorities must clarify is what exactly occurred before the cardiac arrest and whether the scheduled treatment had begun.
According to reports in Greek media, the doctor said to have been responsible for Mazonakis’s treatment testified that the plasmapheresis had not yet begun and that his condition deteriorated abruptly during the preparations for the procedure.
The same reports, citing her testimony, say that Mazonakis had visited the practice the previous day as well. The doctor is said to have described his condition as already burdened and to have referred to difficulties in his speech.
The authorities are therefore expected to examine which symptoms had been recorded, which tests had been carried out, what medical history had been taken, and on what basis it was considered that the planned procedure could go ahead.
The two doctors were released after giving their statements on Wednesday night, while the preliminary investigation is continuing.
The information published so far by Greek media does not yet paint a fully consistent picture as to whether the plasmapheresis had begun. Exactly what had been carried out, by whom, and under what conditions is among the key questions the authorities must answer.
Greek health minister: ‘A very arduous procedure’
A separate inspection is underway into the licensing and operating conditions of the premises.
Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis said that the facility was registered as a simple internal medicine practice and not as a clinic.
In his initial comments, he stated that, in such a practice, performing plasmapheresis is not permitted, according to him, and he ordered an immediate inspection by the Athens Medical Association.
On Thursday, he returned to the issue, describing plasmapheresis as a “very heavy” procedure which, he said, is carried out “only in a hospital setting”.
The minister has stressed from the outset that the precise causes of death and whether there is any liability will have to emerge from the forensic and wider investigation.
‘Specialised medical procedure’
For his part, the president of the Athens Medical Association, Giorgos Patoulis, is focusing on the practice’s licence and equipment.
Speaking to the public broadcaster ERT, he said the facility was licensed as an internal medicine practice, while in the Association’s file, “we have not recorded such a plasmapheresis machine”. He added that in two previous inspections, no plasmapheresis machine had been found and that a new Association committee is currently checking the premises.
He also stressed that plasmapheresis is “a specialised medical procedure” which requires not only appropriate machinery but also specialised staff and specific standards.
On the other hand, the doctors’ lawyer has stated that the machines had been duly declared to the Medical Association and that the practice was operating lawfully.
At the same time, Greek reports are also raising questions about the institutional framework governing specialised medical procedures in private practices. The Central Health Council is expected to look into the issue and the conditions under which such therapeutic interventions may be carried out.
What is plasmapheresis?
Therapeutic plasmapheresis (therapeutic plasma exchange) is a procedure in which blood passes through a special device that separates and removes the plasma, while the red and white blood cells and platelets are returned to the body. The plasma that is removed is replaced by a special solution.
According to doctors Konstantinos Giannakas and Thanos Dimopoulos of the Therapeutic Clinic of the University of Athens, who spoke to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, the method has specific therapeutic indications, including for certain serious haematological, neurological, and immunological diseases.
It requires an assessment of the patient’s condition beforehand and continuous monitoring of blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation. It is generally considered safe when carried out under the prescribed conditions, but it can cause adverse effects, ranging from a drop in blood pressure and hypocalcaemia to, more rarely, allergic reactions, bleeding or arrhythmias.
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