(GHM/IFEX) – Four journalists have been recently sentenced to jail in Greece. 1. On 17 September 1998, journalist Makis Triantafyllopoulos was convicted and given a suspended sentence of eight months for the defamation of Minister of Justice Evangelos Yannopoulos, in an article in the daily “Kalimera” in January 1998. In the article, he had argued […]
(GHM/IFEX) – Four journalists have been recently sentenced to jail in
Greece.
1. On 17 September 1998, journalist Makis Triantafyllopoulos was
convicted and given a suspended sentence of eight months for the
defamation of Minister of Justice Evangelos Yannopoulos, in an article in
the daily “Kalimera” in January 1998. In the article, he had argued that
the minister was interfering with justice in a case implicating the
governor of the Social Security Fund, Gregory Solomos, to seek favourable
treatment of the latter.
2. On 2 September, Abdulahim Dede, a Greek journalist of the Turkish
minority, was sentenced by the Xanthi court in northern Greece to 8
months in prison for trying to install a radio antenna in his back yard.
He was arrested on 1 September, kept at police headquarters overnight and
sentenced the next day under the expeditious procedure, which is rarely
used for charges such as building without a permit. Greek Helsinki
Monitor also points out that such procedure has rarely been used against
a journalist. Dede was released after entering an appeal; the sentence is
currently suspended pending appeal.
Other cases pending against Dede for illegally operating radio stations
are due to be heard on 22 October 1998. He was charged in February 1996
for launching the radio station Radio Isik without a broadcast license.
In 1997, Dede was given a six-month suspended sentence for defamation of
an ultra-nationalist activist from Thrace; he was charged in connection
with an article published in Thrace’s Turkish minority newspaper
“Trakianin Sesi”. Dede has recently won a 1998 Hellman/Hammett grant from
Human Rights Watch for all that harassment.
Greek Helsinki Monitor points out that over three thousand radio stations
operate in Greece without licenses, several of which have also installed
antennae without permission.
3. On 3 September, Giorgos Kondyloudis, journalist and publisher of
“Eolika Nea”, a daily on the island of Mytilini (also known as Lesbos),
was convicted by a three-member Misdemeanour Court to 8 months in prison
for insulting deputy Franklinos Papadelis. He was sentenced in connection
with a letter to the editor, published on 16 June 1997, which called the
deputy’s views “childish” and “politicians [in general, not the deputy]
unworthy, who disgust people.” He appealed the verdict, so the sentence
is currently suspended pending the appeal.
Insult carries a maximum sentence of one year, but usually the sentences
do not exceed two months. Or, if the defendant wants to appeal, four
months — the minimum sentence to have the right to appeal. Eight months
for insult is an unusually stiff sentence, says Greek Helsinki Monitor.
Greek Helsinki Monitor and Minority Rights Group – Greece consider the
conviction itself unacceptable given the reason, and consider prison
sentences unacceptable in all cases.
4. On 3 September again, Yannis Tzoumas, journalist and publisher of
“Alithia”, a daily on the island of Chios, was convicted to four months’
imprisonment for defamation. He was charged for an August 1997 incident
in which he was accused of defaming Minister Stavros Soumakis. Initially,
he was charged with aggravated defamation for having claimed the
minister, visiting Chios, was staying at the house of a ship owner who
was under investigation; the journalist also claimed the minister had
managed to get tickets for himself and his wife on the eve of the 16
August 1997 Olympic Airways flight. (This flight is always booked three
months in advance.) The paper called him “minister of the ship owners …
who sunbathes at the villas of the ship owners.” During the trial, the
facts were confirmed as accurate, but the court considered that the
“harsh style” of the article consisted an act of defamation.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities below:
convictions for texts that are nothing more than normal, strong criticism
of public officials
intimidating the provincial press, which is already in a weak position,
as it has limited means
which are now pending before appeals courts
Appeals To
H.E. Konstantinos Simitis
Prime Minister of Greece
Athens, Greece
Fax: +30 1 6716183Mr. Evangelos Yannopoulos
Minister of Justice
Athens, Greece
Fax : +30 1 77 55 835
Please copy your appeals to GHM.
