(GHM/IFEX) – A journalist was sentenced to jail in Greece on 21 May 1999. On 21 May 1999, journalist Dimitris Rizos, editor and publisher of the daily “Adesmeftos Typos”, was convicted by a three-member Appeals Court of Athens to twelve months in prison for the repeated aggravated defamation of four members of the board of […]
(GHM/IFEX) – A journalist was sentenced to jail in Greece on 21 May 1999.
On 21 May 1999, journalist Dimitris Rizos, editor and publisher of the daily
“Adesmeftos Typos”, was convicted by a three-member Appeals Court of Athens
to twelve months in prison for the repeated aggravated defamation of four
members of the board of directors of the rival daily “Eleftheros Typos”. His
incriminating interview to a television station in September 1994 did indeed
include unsubstantiated allegations of embezzlement of funds. Rizos’
sentence was converted to pecuniary, he bought it off and was set free.
It is noteworthy that, in the first instance, a three-member Misdemeanor
Court in Athens had convicted Rizos to forty-two months in prison for
aggravated defamation.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities below:
asking
that such charges be dropped for all pending cases
the
world that press offences should be dealt with in the civil code. Anybody
who feels wrongfully harmed can seek redress through the civil courts in the
form of a retraction, apology or compensatory payment for demonstrable
damages
flow of ideas and opinions is quite plainly not compatible with democratic
principles
Appeals To
Mr. George Papandreou
Foreign Minister
Athens, Greece
Fax: +30 1 3681433Mr. Dimitris Reppas
Minister of Press and Information
Athens, Greece
Fax: +30 1 3606969Mr. Evangelos Yannopoulos
Minister of Justice
Athens, Greece
Fax : +30 1 77 55 835
Please copy your appeals to GHM.
