Press freedom stifled in Greece, reforms needed, says Human Rights Watch

ATHENS, May 8 (Reuters) - Press freedom has been stifled in Greece since Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' conservative government came to power in 2019, with phone malware and aggressive lawsuits used against journalists, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Thursday.
At least 15 journalists said they had at some point faced a lawsuit or legal threat for their reporting, the global rights group said in a 101-page report, opens new tab based on interviews with 34 journalists, academics, legal and media experts.
It cited an annual index, opens new tab from Reporters without Borders giving Greece the lowest score in Europe.
HRW said it is too easy under Greek law to restrict journalists through lawsuits know as SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation), which are filed against reporters based on claims of defamation or breach of EU data protection.
"The pervasive and deliberate constraints on journalism in Greece are creating an environment in which critical reporting is stifled and self-censorship becomes the norm," said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at HRW.
The government has publicly dismissed the allegations in the past and its spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said on Wednesday that Greece has made progress on media freedom, as reflected in the Commission's annual report, opens new tab on rule of law.
The topic of press freedom in Greece hit the headlines in 2022 when a wiretapping scandal was revealed after a journalist said his phone had been infected by spyware. Traces of that spyware were later found in dozens of phones.
HRW urged authorities to draft an action plan to include ensuring public media independence, adopting anti-SLAPPs legislation and shielding journalists from surveillance.

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Scottish Sun

5 hours ago

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Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE world is waiting with baited breath for Tehran's response to Donald Trump's strikes on three key nuclear facilities. Iran and Israel's conflict expanded to a global scale when the US sent bombers and cruise missiles to decimate the sites in a "spectacular military success," according to the US president. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 11 Firefighters, rescue workers and military tasked with civil defense and recovery operations gather at the site of a direct missile strike launched from Iran in Tel Aviv Credit: AP 11 Missiles fired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps towards Israel Credit: Reuters 11 Houthi supporters at a ceremony marking the Shiite religious Day of Eid al-Ghadir, in Sana'a, Yemen Credit: EPA 11 US President Donald Trump holds a meeting in the Situation Room at the White House in Washington Credit: Reuters 11 After declaring the US strikes as being a success, Trump warned that further action could be taken if Tehran doesn't agree to an adequate peace deal. But Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that Tehran "reserves all options" in defending itself and that the blitz "will have everlasting consequences". 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This caused global energy prices to spike, and temporarily binned half of Saudi Arabia's oil production. Chaos unfolding After declaring the US strikes as being a success, Trump warned that further action could be taken if Tehran doesn't agree to an adequate peace deal. He said in a nationally televised speech at the White House: "Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier." "There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days." 'Remember there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. 'But if peace does not come quickly we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. 'Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes. There's no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight." And shortly after speaking on-camera, he posted to Truth Social: "This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Staggering vid shows US carpet bombing Houthis in 'Operation Rough Rider' as Trump blitzed 800 targets in 44 days "Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. "But if peace does not come quickly we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill." Meanwhile Iran's foreign minister Abbas Arghchi dubbed the strikes "outrageous and will have everlasting consequences". He also called the military action "a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations". Arghchi added: "Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior. 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