On 12 December 2025, Kathimerini announced in two publications (here and here) that its columnist Paschos Mandravelis had received, via an anonymous phone call, serious threats against his life and physical integrity while carrying out his work as a journalist and specifically while commenting on the OPEKEPE scandal, a matter of public interest.
Mr. Mandravelis told Kathimerini that he was told he had three days to leave the country or he would meet the same fate of (the murdered journalist) Karaivaz. The newspaper clarified that the threats against its journalist were made after his commentary on SKAI TV regarding developments and testimonies before the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee investigating the case of illegal agricultural subsidies.
On the day the threats against Mr. Mandravelis were revealed, the Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers (ESIEA) issued a statement expressing its “full solidarity” with the Kathimerini journalist and declaring that “Greek journalists are not intimidated and will continue their work unhindered.”
Under the rule of law, individual rights and freedom of the press are protected and journalists have the right to exercise their profession freely and independently, without censorship, without threats against their life and physical integrity (whether from private individuals or state authorities), and without disproportionate or unjustified restrictions, with the aim of fully informing the public on matters of major public interest.
Despite the protection of press freedom under Article 14(2) of the Constitution, in this case Kathimerini journalist Paschos Mandravelis received serious threats against his life and physical integrity.
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