Greek Prime Minister Kyriokos Mitsotakis on Saturday called for the "swift resolution" of the investigation into the murder of a journalist, an assassination condemned by European officials, Greek political parties and the country's press unions.
"By express order (from the Prime Minister), the investigation will be accelerated as much as possible," the Minister in charge of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, told reporters.
Murdered journalist Giorgos Karaivaz, who worked for private television Star and ran the news site bloko.gr, was shot and killed outside his home in Athens.
Shocked and revolted.
Giorgos Karaivaz, journalist specializing in criminal affairs for the channel @StarChannelGr was killed in front of his home in broad daylight # Greece pic.twitter.com/vOsOnkobRI
- Alexia Kefalas (@alexiaKefalas) April 9, 2021
According to a police source, the 52-year-old journalist was targeted by two men on motorcycles, who fired 17 times, according to the cartridges found at the scene of the crime.
A murder described as a "hate crime" by Minister Chrysochoidis, who added that "the journalist status of the victim gives the investigation special importance.
The murder was condemned by the European Commission and the European Council for the Protection of Human Rights (CESDH).
"Heinous and cowardly act"
"Killing a journalist is a heinous and cowardly act," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted on Friday.
“Europe defends freedoms.
And the freedom of the press is the most sacred of all.
Journalists must be able to work in safety (...) I hope that the criminals will soon be brought to justice, ”she added.
Η δολοφονία ενός δημοσιογράφου είναι μια απεχθής, δειλή πράξη.
Η Ευρώπη αντιπροσωπεύει την ελευθερία.
Και η ελευθερία του τύπου ίσως είναι η πιο ιερή από όλες.
Οι δημοσιογράφοι πρέπει να είναι σε θέση να εργάζονται με ασφάλεια.
- Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 9, 2021
George Karaivaz, who worked his entire career for the country's main newspapers and televisions, was "one of the most experienced criminal journalists in the field and was held in high esteem by his colleagues," said in a statement on Esiea union of journalists of the Athenian daily press.
While the Greek media have regularly been the target of vandalism or even bomb attacks, those directly targeting a journalist are rarer.
Some reporters asked for police protection after receiving threats, but George Karaivaz did not.
READ ALSO>
Greece: outcry after a strong intervention by the police to enforce confinement
Morning essentials newsletter
A tour of the news to start the day
Subscribe to the newsletterAll newsletters
“Asking for protection was not his style,” said a police officer who knew the journalist.
Mr Karaivaz, married and the father of a 21-year-old son, was recently investigated after being accused of accepting money from a former criminal murdered in 2019.
He had strongly criticized these assertions and recently wrote a series of articles pointing to corruption within the police, a subject on which he was soon to testify.
The murder comes as Greek authorities have come under fire for giving too much police protection to a controversial TV presenter.
Last July, journalist Stefanos Chios survived after being shot in the neck and chest by a man outside his home.
The case is still ongoing.
In 2010, radio director, blogger and investigative journalist Socratis Giolias was shot dead, also outside his home, the murderer was never found.