Stefan Schennach (Austria, SOC), General Rapporteur on media freedom and the safety of journalists for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has today expressed his horror at the murder of Giorgos Karaivaz, a veteran Greek crime reporter who was shot several times outside his home in Athens on Friday 9 April.
“The journalist for the private broadcaster Star TV was well-known to Greek audiences for his highly professional coverage of crime and police stories. Police sources confirmed that the journalist had not reported any threats against him nor asked for police protection,” specified Mr Schennach.
“I am profoundly shocked by the brutal murder of Giorgos Karaivaz. This is yet another assassination of an investigative journalist in the heart of Europe, and it is totally unacceptable. Council of Europe member States must make every possible effort to protect journalists from any attacks and to ensure a safe environment for journalists and other media workers,” he added.
“I join Dunja Mijatović, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, in condemning this murder in the strongest possible terms. I call on the Greek authorities to thoroughly investigate this case and bring the perpetrators to justice,” said the General Rapporteur.
Read also
“I express my deep condolences to the family and close friends of Giorgos Karaivaz, and hope that light will be shed rapidly on this horrific case,” he concluded.
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
