Greek authorities must quickly and thoroughly investigate the ransacking of the offices of Greek weekly newspaper Athens Voice and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
On July 4, a group of about 10 masked individuals entered the Athens Voiceoffices and vandalized the newsroom, damaging office equipment and furniture and splashing black paint on the walls, according to a report by the newspaper. No one was injured during the raid, according to that report.
In a post published on video-sharing website LiveLeak, Greek anarchist group Rouvikonas claimed credit for the attack, which it described as a protest against a comment on the newspaper’s website concerning a story about an Armenian woman who died after jumping out of a window to evade authorities’ inspection of her residence and work permit.
“Political groups should not be in the business of attacking the free press, and Greek authorities should be sure to hold to account those responsible for ransacking the offices of Athens Voice,” Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, said from New York. “If groups do not face consequences for such egregious actions, these attacks against the press will continue.”
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The Hellenic Police press department did not reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment. CPJ emailed Athens Voice for comment but did not receive a response.
