Greek investigative journalist Sokratis Giolias was gunned down by two or three gunman posing as security personnel on July 19th outside his home in Athens. The attack has been linked by police to leftist militants. Giolias was said to be the administrator of an anonymous newsblog responsible for uncovering several scandals—and possibly inventing a few too. He was also head of news at a Athens radio station Thema FM.
“Somebody wanted to silence a very good investigative reporter who had stepped on a lot of toes with his stories,” said Panos Sobolos, president of the Athens journalists’ union.
The group of militants who are thought to have been involved are The Sect of Revolutionaries (SR). The SR have threatened members of the media in the past. Last year they attacked the headquarters of private broadcaster Alter TV, without causing any injuries.
The BBC’s Malcolm Brabant in Athens says while gangland murders are frequent occurrences in Greece, attacks on journalists are rare. But it’s definitely an eye opener as a wanna-be journalist to see threats to the media to this extent. Also shows how important investigative reporting is to the justice system and holding people responsible, granted it can be dangerous at times.
Read further about the murder from these links: Assassination in Athens & Journalist Gunned Down in Greece.
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