According to Arvanitis, Greece has in recent years witnessed the emergence of a full-fledged lawsuit industry: a systematic abuse of the judicial system aimed at intimidating, financially exhausting and discouraging those who investigate, criticise or simply ask questions. “We are no longer talking only about ‘annoying journalists’,” he noted. “We are talking about ‘annoying MPs and MEPs’, ‘annoying citizens’.” In this climate, he said, media outlets and journalists such as Documento, TVXS, Reporters United, the Editors’ Journal, journalist Thanasis Koukakis, Thodoris Chondrogiannos, Stelios Kouloglou and himself were targeted.

He added that at the same time major scandals, including the wiretapping affair, were systematically covered up. Instead of holding accountable those who organised the illegal surveillance of politicians, journalists and citizens, those who revealed the truth were persecuted. Arvanitis recalled earlier cases, such as the prosecution of journalist Yianna Papadakou in the Lagarde list affair, Stavroula Poulimeni in the Hellenic Gold case, Eleni Iliopoulou and others.

“This situation is not compatible with European democracy or with the rule of law,” he stressed.

Referring to the court ruling in favour of Kouloglou, Arvanitis underlined that it confirms political and journalistic criticism is not a criminal offence, and that SLAPP lawsuits cannot replace public debate or function as a tool of political and communicative self-protection for those in power.

He recalled that in the European Parliament he fought for the adoption of the EU directive against SLAPP lawsuits, a battle that Kouloglou supported from the outset. “Today’s Greek court decision confirms that we were right: abusive lawsuits are not about the ‘protection of honour’, they are a weapon used to silence and manipulate public discourse,” he said.

Arvanitis called on the government to align itself with the European acquis, protect investigative journalism, guarantee pluralism and transparency, and put an end to the criminalisation of criticism and scrutiny of power.

As the European Parliament’s rapporteur on the rule of law in the EU for 2025, he noted that he will have the institutional responsibility to assess, on the basis of evidence, whether member states – including Greece – respect press freedom, the separation of powers and the protection of those who exercise democratic oversight. “Today’s case shows that Greece still has a long way to go,” he concluded.

“Democracy lives by the light. And as long as some insist on silencing, we will insist on truth, accountability and control.”

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