New York, April 9, 2021 — In response to today’s killing of journalist Giorgos Karaivaz near his home in Athens, Greece, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement:
“We strongly condemn this fatal shooting of veteran crime reporter Giorgos Karaivaz, express our deep condolences to his family and colleagues, and call on Greek police to conduct a swift, transparent, and thorough investigation into his killing,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna. “Authorities must determine whether Karaivaz was targeted for his work, and should do everything possible to find the killers and bring them to justice.”
This afternoon, two unidentified men on a motorcycle approached Karaivaz while he was returning to his home in the Athens suburb of Alimos, and the motorcycle’s passenger shot him several times, killing him at the scene, according to news reports. Police collected 12 shell casings from the scene, those reports said.
Authorities have opened an investigation into the attack and its motivations; a police official said that the killing appeared to be “a professional hit,” according to those reports.
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Karaivaz worked for the private broadcaster Star TV and previously contributed to other Greek outlets and broadcasters, where he was well-known for his coverage of crime and police stories; he also founded Bloko, a news website focusing on issues relevant to law enforcement, according to reports.
In 2010, reporter Sokratis Giolias, director of Thema Radio and contributor to the news website Troktiko, was shot and killed in a suburb of Athens.
Committee to Protect Journalists
Photo Caption: A police officer blocks the road where journalist Giorgos Karaivaz was fatally shot in the Alimos suburb of Athens, Greece, on April 9, 2021. (Reuters/Costas Baltas)
