REPORTS
Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers condemns the extrajudicial proceedings brought by the Greek Police Force against newspapers
On March 19, 22 police officers from the General Police Directorate of Attica (GADA) sent an official Letter of Caution to the Efimerida ton Syntakton and Documento, after the two newspapers published an allegation by the citizen Aris Papazacharoudakis that he was tortured in GADA after incidents of police violence in Nea Smyrni. The extrajudicial proceeding was carried out despite the fact that an investigation has been launched into the case by the Internal Affairs Service of the Greek Police (ELAS).
According to Documento, in the letter the police stated that the newspapers’ allegations were groundless, with no basis in reality, nor any justification in journalistic ethics, function, nor by freedom of the press, or above all, democracy, in the year 2021.
The Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers released a statement the same day, condemning the actions of the Greek Police Force in sending an official Letter of Caution, and stressing that the mission of journalists is to scrutinise those in power, and to give a voice to citizens, especially when it comes to allegations of the arbitrary use of state power. The Greek Police Force, they say, as well as the supervisory political leadership, are obliged to answer the allegations publicly rather than sending extrajudicial documents to threaten the newspapers that have published them, nor to show journalists how to do their job. They would do better to convince Greek citizens that they unequivocally condemn all incidents of violence and the arbitrary use of state power.
In a state that adheres to the rule of law, both individual rights and the freedom of the press are protected. Journalists have the right to practice their work freely and independently, without censorship or influence.
Despite the guarantee of the freedom of the press by Article 14 of the Constitution, the Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers in this case condemns the actions of the Greek Police Force in sending an official Letter of Caution to two newspapers, and stresses that the mission of journalists is to scrutinise those in power, and to publish allegations of state misconduct.
The Greek Police Force, they say, should investigate allegations of unlawful violence rather than sending extrajudicial documents to threaten the newspapers that have published them, a practice that goes against freedom of expression and independent journalism.
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