Murdered Journalist’s Probe Lags, Greece Puts Clamps on Media Freedom

Six months after investigative journalist Giorgos Karaivaz was gunned down near his home in Athens - and as Reporters Without Borders (RSF) pressed police for answers - Greece’s conservative government is being ripped by media freedom groups for proposals that would bring fines and jail time for reporting “false news.”

Prime Minister and New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis found himself in the crosshairs of criticism from a coalition denouncing a draft law they said would deter journalists from doing their job.

The partners in the Germany-based Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) said that, “The draft law’s vague definition and punitive sanctions would undermine the freedom of the press and have a chilling effect at a time when independent journalism is already under pressure in Greece.”

The penalties would extend to publishers of media outlets as well, the government accused of favoring those friendly to the administration while targeting critical journalists to block coverage.

The government has been trying to ferret out sites it said were misleading people about COVID-19 vaccines, but the media coalition said there was a danger that media outlets could be lumped in. 

The groups said they recognized the legitimacy of trying to thwart misleading sites during the pandemic but added that, “Heavy-handed legislation by governments which grants regulators or prosecutors the power to decide true from false and levy punitive fines on the press is not the correct response and would result in more harm than good.”

“In an era where politicians increasingly accuse critical journalism of being ‘fake news,’  in the wrong hands, such a law would be extremely dangerous,” a coalition statement said.

They included Article 19, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), European Federation of Journalists (EFJ,) Free Press Unlimited (FPU,) the International Press Institute (IPI)and OBC Transeuropa (OBCT).

“The introduction of the legislative proposal … so-called "fake news" fits a pattern in Greece where overall, the media landscape seems to be such that it is difficult to be critical of the authorities,” Laurens C. Hueting, Senior Advocacy Officer of the ECPM in Germany told Blueprint for Free Speech.

“Because of the vague and ambiguous wording, introducing such a law in a country that already has a difficult climate for independent reporting is bound to have a chilling effect, and there is a real risk of introducing a powerful tool for government censorship,” he added.

The proposed amendments would include penalties for those found guilty of disseminating “false news that is capable of causing concern or fear to the public or undermining public confidence in the national economy, the country’s defense capacity or public health,” with imprisonment of at least six months and a fine.

Pavol Szalai, head of the EU/Balkans Desk for RSF told Blueprint,   "The amendment would allow for a disproportionate restriction of press freedom on shaky legal grounds … This would pose a serious threat to journalists’ right to publish information in the public interest.”

"The very possibility of judicial proceedings against media  allowed by the law may by themselves cause self-censorship …   Greek journalists already face threats from abusive lawsuits (SLAPPs) and jail sentences for criminal defamation,”he added.

THE MEN IN THE SHADOWS

The major opposition SYRIZA, which had been accused during its former rule before being ousted by New Democracy of trying to create favorable media by selling TV licenses before that was withdrawn, accused the government of the same.

It said that New Democracy has doled out more than 30 million euros ($34.82 million) to the media, skewed toward those friendly toward the administration and now is trying to obstruct independent journalism.

Greece is ranked 70th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2021 World Press Freedom Index, sliding five places from 2020 although Mitsotakis said he would champion media freedom and journalists.

The turn of events overshadowed RSF’s insistence that the government speed the investigation into the murder of Karaivaz after Mitsotakis said in the immediate aftermath of the killing that finding the murderers would be a priority.

Now, while maintaining the same line, the police have said that it could be months more before any progress might be made, said Star TV, the station for which Karaivaz worked and where he had just left a show before being shot dead.

Not a single suspect has been identified nor a mastermind, nor any motive although Karaivaz was said to be close to both police and underworld figures and was looking into corruption in the police force.

Authorities said they have to analyze two lists of suspects, 30 statements and 150 videos in their response to criticism the investigation has stalled.

“(RSF) calls on the Greek authorities to keep their promise to prioritise the case and to make every possible effort to solve it fast for the sake of the security of Greek journalists,” the group said.

In July, the police said they obtained evidence from security camera footage about potential perpetrators and instigators but did not reveal their identity or say if any of the persons concerned was under investigation, said RSF.

Szalai noted that, “When journalist Peter R. de Vries was murdered in The Netherland, the suspected perpetrators were apprehended the very same day and the government took fast new systemic measures to protect press freedom. This has not been the case in Greece.”

But Greece has had a number of organized crime hits with authorities believing gunmen are imported from other countries and leave as soon as the job is done. 

“It is not easy to identify the perpetrators in organized crime, in particular headsmen who leave the country after an execution,” Effie Lambropoulou, Professor of Criminology at Panteion University in Athens told Blueprint.

And, she added, “The Karaivaz murder does not necessarily mean that reporters are no longer sacred,” noting his connections to organized crime figures that could be a reason why he was targeted. 

Heutings said that there is a “considerable problem re: safety of journalists in Greece, where we see instances of police brutality as well as a lack of protection against violence and harassment by private persons, online and offline.”

He added that, “We are not seeing much is being done by the authorities to address the problem. Such action should include full-throated condemnation of any instances of violence and harassment, appropriate investigation and prosecutions, coupled with capacity-building in collaboration with representatives of the journalistic profession and making real efforts to improve media literacy.”

Szalai said: “We call on the government to keep its promises and to make all possible resources available so that this investigation can be successfully concluded. We will continue to follow this case. Solving Giorgos Karaivaz’s murder is vital for the security of Greek journalists.”