Pensioner hailed a ‘martyr for Greece’ after suicide

A pensioner has been hailed as a “martyr for Greece” following his suicide outside parliament.

The retired pharmacist’s death has quickly become a symbol of the pain of austerity and has been seized upon by opponents of the budget cuts imposed by Greece’s international lenders.

The 77-year-old Dimitris Christoulas shot himself in the head on Wednesday after saying that financial troubles had pushed him over the edge. A suicide note said he preferred to die than scavenge for food.