On 12 December 2025, the Journalists’ Union of Daily Newspapers of Peloponnese, Epirus and the Islands (ESIEPIN) issued a statement denouncing the “unacceptable attack with chemical agents suffered by journalists on Tuesday afternoon (9 December) by police forces stationed at the ‘Charilaos Trikoupis’ Bridge (Rio–Antirrio) during the farmers’ protests.”
According to the Union’s statement, four journalists (Konstantinos Flamís, Apostolos Vouldis, Christos Stratoulakos, Konstantina Tsichla) “were subjected to this unprovoked attack while covering the protests,” that is, while carrying out journalistic reporting on a matter of public interest. For press coverage of the incident please see 1, 2, 3.
The Board of ESIEPIN has demanded an immediate investigation of the incident and the attribution of responsibility. The incident was highlighted by national and local media and was also recorded by the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists, as well as by the pan‑European monitoring mechanism Mapping Media Freedom, operated by the European Centre for Press & Media Freedom – ECPMF.
In a State governed by the rule of law, where individual rights and specifically freedom of the press are protected, journalists have the right to carry out their work freely and independently, without censorship, without threats to their life or physical integrity (whether from private individuals or state authorities), and without disproportionate or unjustified restrictions. Their role is to ensure comprehensive public information on matters of major public interest.
Despite the constitutional protection of press freedom under Article 14 paragraph 2 of the Constitution in this case the police not only failed to facilitate the exercise of journalistic work, but allegedly obstructed journalists at work, covering an issue of public interest.
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