REPORTS
Legislative Affairs & Government Oversight
Freedom of the Press
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Police Violence & Arbitrariness
Police Violence Against Photojournalist During Protest Coverage of Home Foreclosure
On 24 January 2024, the Union of Press Photographers Greece (EFE) issued a statement denouncing the use of excessive and unprovoked police violence against a member of the press—specifically, a photojournalist—during coverage of a protest against a home foreclosure.
The Union condemned the injury of their colleague, who was struck on the head while covering a demonstration by organisations and trade unions outside the Zografou Police Station, in response to the violent eviction of retired journalist Ioanna Kolovou, the statement noted
EFE further noted: “The unprovoked and indiscriminate attack by police forces—targeting both our working colleague and the gathered supporters—once again confirms our experience as photojournalists: that violence and repression go hand in hand with the auctions of working-class homes and other anti-social, anti-labour practices. We express our solidarity with our colleague and call on the boards of press unions to condemn all forms of violence and repression.”
Under the rule of law, rights—and in particular, freedom of the press—are protected, and journalists and photojournalists have the right to carry out their profession freely and independently, without censorship or disproportionate and unjustified restrictions, in order to fully inform the public on matters of significant public interest.
Despite the protection of press freedom under Article 14(2) of the Constitution (“The press is free. Censorship and all other preventive measures are prohibited”), in the case under examination, the police authorities not only failed to facilitate the work of a press representative, but are also reported to have used unprovoked physical violence against them. This effectively rendered the journalist unable to cover a matter of public interest on which the public has a right to be informed.
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