Giorgos Mazonakis death: doctors arrested in Greece

Two doctors have been arrested in Greece after prominent pop star Giorgos Mazonakis died of cardiac arrest during a plasma exchange appointment, raising questions about private clinic licences.

Mazonakis, 54, died on Wednesday. Plasma exchange is a blood-cleaning procedure used to remove harmful elements from the bloodstream. It was originally used to treat disorders such as multiple sclerosis, but has increasingly been used as an anti-ageing and longevity treatment.

Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis said the rules governing anti-ageing clinics in Greece were a "grey area" and would be re-evaluated. He told Action24 TV that the medical field had advanced rapidly and overtaken existing laws.

Georgiadis told state broadcaster ERT on Friday that it was forbidden to carry out plasma exchange outside a hospital environment, and said the clinic had a pathology practice licence.

The doctors, who are a couple, deny responsibility and say Mazonakis lost consciousness before the treatment began. Their lawyer, Nikos Agapinos, told reporters the clinic was legal and had properly registered equipment.

The couple were initially released after questioning on Wednesday and detained on Thursday.

Mazonakis was one of Greece's best-known pop stars, with a career of more than three decades, multiple hits and platinum albums. He had been due to stage a retrospective concert in Athens on September 20.