Introduction
As a member state of the European Union and its affiliated institutions, Greece is formally committed to upholding human rights principles, including freedom of expression, free access to information, and the independence of media and journalists. As a nation inheriting the legacy of Ancient Greece—one of the historical cradles of democracy, philosophy, logic, and mathematics—Greece has long played a crucial role in shaping the values of liberal democracy in the modern Western world.
However, in recent years, the country has faced widespread criticism from international human rights bodies, independent journalists, and civil society organizations. These criticisms primarily concern the increasing constraints on press freedom, the harassment and prosecution of journalists, and the lack of transparency in government institutions—challenges that can seriously undermine Greece’s democratic legitimacy both in Europe and globally.
Incidents
- The Case of Journalist Stavros Malichudis
On November 13, 2021, Greek journalist Stavros Malichudis, affiliated with the investigative media outlet Solomon, disclosed that the Greek intelligence agency was monitoring the activities of journalists and media workers. The alleged surveillance pertained to an activity carried out by Malichudis and Solomon‘s editor-in-chief Iliana Papangeli in April that year, involving a 12-year-old Syrian refugee boy residing in a camp on the island of Kos.
Following an art exhibition and the publication of their work in Le Monde (France), the journalists attempted to contact the child to discuss the success and the journey of the family to Europe. However, Greece’s national intelligence service sent a message to local security agents, instructing them to verify whether the child and his family were on the island. The document in question contained Malichudis’s name and ID number, identifying him as the person scheduled to meet the child.
According to Malichudis, he had only communicated with the child once via a normal phone call before switching to an encrypted messaging app. Evidence suggests that the communications of Malichudis—and likely other members of Solomon—were covertly intercepted and unlawfully shared with a state security agency monitoring their activities[1].
In an interview, Malichudis stated:
“I lived in fear for months. I feared meeting people, my sources being exposed. It took a long time to detach from what happened and start reporting again[2].”
Despite these events, on October 24, 2024, Achilles Zisis, Deputy Prosecutor of the Greek Supreme Court, rejected Malichudis’s request—submitted for the second time since July 2024—to access the investigation file regarding his surveillance by the National Intelligence Service. The case remains unresolved, and the victim has been denied access to the official case documents[3].
- The Case of Journalist Thanasis Koukakis
The Greek government’s surveillance of journalists did not stop with Malichudis. It continued with other cases, including that of journalist Thanasis Koukakis. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Koukakis’s story began on July 12, 2020, when he clicked on a suspicious link, after which his phone began behaving abnormally. Although the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto initially found no evidence of hacking, it was later confirmed—once Koukakis switched to a new device in 2021—that his previous phone had indeed been infected[4].
Koukakis stated that his phone had been compromised by the Predator spyware, developed by the company Cytrox, a subsidiary of the Intellexa surveillance consortium based in Greece. It is highly unlikely that such a cyberattack was carried out by ordinary fraudsters, as the media watchdog “Media Freedom Rapid Response” asserts that such services are extremely costly and are typically only offered to governments[5].
Despite Koukakis’s complaints, in March 2021 the Greek government passed an amendment that generally prohibits informing individuals about wiretapping conducted on national security grounds, thereby blocking Koukakis’s access to the truth. Furthermore, on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, the Athens News Agency reported that Georgia Adilini, the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Greece, suspended the legal case filed by Koukakis against the National Intelligence Service. The decision was based on the preliminary court investigation, which found no evidence that the state agency had used illegal spyware to monitor him[6].
- The Case of Journalist Giorgos Androutsos
On October 31, 2024, Giorgos Androutsos, a journalist for Rizospastis, the official newspaper of the Greek Communist Party[7], was violently assaulted and arrested by police while covering a protest of seasonal firefighters in front of a government ministry. He was released on November 1.
In a statement published by Rizospastis, Androutsos said:
“Before I could take any photos, I was pulled by the arms. I shouted that I was a journalist, but they ignored me and became even more aggressive. They threw me to the ground and dragged me like a sack. I saw a seasonal worker nearby also on the ground, with people stepping on him[8].”
Video footage shows police throwing Androutsos to the ground and dragging him, despite protestors shouting that he was a journalist. He was handcuffed, taken to the Central Police Directorate (GADA), and later transferred to Evangelismos Hospital for medical examination.
Androutsos sustained minor injuries, including abrasions on his hands. He spent the night in the hospital and was returned to the police station the next day before being released in the afternoon. He was later charged with “resisting arrest[9].”
Criminal charges against Androutsos were based on Articles 167, 308, and 315 of the Greek Penal Code. The first pertains to “resisting and using violence against government officials and judicial officers,” the second to “bodily harm,” and the third to “crimes against the physical integrity of a government official[10].”
- The Case of Three Other Journalists
On October 24, 2022, investigative journalist Tasos Telloglou from Inside Story published an article through the Heinrich Böll Foundation detailing how he was allegedly followed by unknown individuals in connection with his reporting on a spyware scandal.
Telloglou claimed that his colleagues Eliza Triantafyllou and Thodoris Chondrogiannos from the media outlet Reporters United were also under surveillance and had their locations tracked. He believed he had been monitored between May and August 2022.
He first noticed someone following him on May 27, in downtown Athens, where he confronted the individual. Later, a retired police officer warned him to be cautious about where he parked his car. According to a parking attendant, “a man claiming to be from the police tried to approach your car, but I stopped him.”
In a report by the independent media outlet Euractiv, Greece’s Communications Privacy Authority confirmed—following a joint inspection with EU Parliament Member Giorgos Kyrtsos at the telecom provider Cosmote—that the national intelligence services had wiretapped Telloglou under the vague justification of “national security[11].”
Nonetheless, on July 30, 2024, the Greek Supreme Court Prosecutor announced that their investigation found no evidence of involvement by any state agency—including the National Intelligence Service, counter-terrorism units, or the Ministry for Citizen Protection—in using Predator or any similar spyware[12].
Challenges and Responses
- Domestic Reactions
On November 1, 2024, the Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers (JUADN) condemned the arrest of journalist Giorgos Androutsos, which had occurred the previous day while he was covering the protest of seasonal firefighters in front of the Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection. In its statement, the union emphasized that—as evident in the available audio and video footage—the police attack was unprovoked and that riot police (MAT) had already been informed by a member of parliament that the victim was a journalist.
The statement reads:
“Guaranteeing press freedom is a fundamental and legal obligation in any rule-of-law state. Actions such as this gravely undermine democratic values and the functioning of the media[13].”
- International Reactions
On February 7, 2024, the European Parliament issued a resolution expressing deep concern over the deterioration of the rule of law and democratic norms in Greece, especially concerning corruption, media freedom, and judicial independence.
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) called for thorough investigations into the use of surveillance technologies—including the Predator spyware—against journalists and political figures.
Regarding the media landscape, the MEPs highlighted the threats journalists face, such as physical intimidation, legal harassment, and the illegal use of surveillance tools. This was not the first time the European Parliament expressed concern about the decline of EU values in Greece[14].
On May 8, 2025, Human Rights Watch published a report titled “Greece: Media Freedom in Crisis,” addressing widespread restrictions and suppression targeting media and media professionals.
According to the report:
“Deliberate and pervasive restrictions on journalism in Greece create an environment in which critical reporting is silenced, and self-censorship becomes the norm. Journalists face state surveillance, harassment, intimidation by pro-government actors, and frivolous lawsuits by politicians—all of which threaten democracy and the rule of law.”
The report noted that since the New Democracy government came to power in July 2019, the hostile climate for journalists and media outlets has intensified, fueling self-censorship and severely undermining press freedom.
One journalist interviewed in the report, with 25 years of experience in a major private Greek television channel, remarked:
“What you say on TV is so tightly controlled that there’s no real freedom. Higher-ups dictate everything—what you say, how you say it—it’s all controlled[15].”
On August 1, 2024, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) issued a statement titled “EU Ignores Deteriorating Rule of Law in Greece,” criticizing the violation of press freedom in Greece and the EU’s silence on the matter.
The statement, co-signed by 14 media and human rights organizations, challenged the European Commission’s Rule of Law Report as overly optimistic.
It claimed that the Commission had ignored the stark contrast between the Greek government’s official narratives and the findings of independent bodies, organizations, and individuals regarding the country’s human rights situation[16].
- Covert Monitoring of Journalists
One of the most pressing challenges faced by journalists in Greece is covert and unregulated state surveillance. As revealed in the spyware scandal involving Predator, the Greek government has routinely used espionage tools—including mobile spyware—to secretly monitor journalists’ activities.
This climate of fear and intimidation forces journalists and media workers to self-censor and align their work with government narratives to protect their lives and careers.
- EU Complicity and Leniency Toward Greece
Another significant challenge is the European Union’s lenient and complicit approach toward the Greek government and its institutions. While the EU takes a hardline stance on human rights violations outside its geographic borders, it adopts a more permissive and optimistic view regarding Greece, an EU member state.
As highlighted earlier in this report, the European Commission’s Rule of Law Report presented an overly favorable picture of the human rights situation in Greece, relying heavily on official government sources. This selective optimism has been criticized by independent bodies, which accuse the EU of willful blindness and leniency.
Such an approach undermines the hopes of Greek journalists and media professionals who seek a free press and open information environment, as it signals implicit EU support for the government’s actions and its disregard for genuine human rights reform.
Conclusion
Greece—renowned as one of the cultural and civilizational cradles of Europe and the birthplace of foundational concepts of rights and freedoms, including democracy—ought to be a leader in upholding such values within its governance and policymaking structures.
However, within the European Union, Greece ranks among the weakest countries in terms of freedom of press and media. According to the 2023 Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index, Greece ranked 107th out of approximately 180 countries—holding the lowest position among all EU member states for the second consecutive year. Its ranking fell behind countries such as Niger, Lesotho, and Haiti[17].
Although the situation slightly improved in 2024 with Greece climbing to the 88th position, it still remained the lowest among EU members[18]. As of mid-2025, Greece has dropped one position further, now ranking 89th out of 180 countries—once again, at the bottom of the EU rankings[19].
These statistics highlight Greece’s continued struggle with safeguarding press and media freedoms. Despite increasing international pressure, especially from European institutions, the country has yet to demonstrate significant progress toward creating a safe and open environment for journalistic activity.
References
[1] ECPMF. (2021, November 19). Greece: Answers needed over alleged state surveillance of journalist. ECPMF. From: https://www.ecpmf.eu/greece-answers-needed-over-alleged-state-surveillance-of-journalist/
[2] Cosse, E. (2022, November 7). Greece’s Surveillance Scandal Puts Rights At Risk. Human Rights Watch. From: https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/11/07/greeces-surveillance-scandal-puts-rights-risk
[3] Reporters Without Borders. (2024, November 19). Exclusive: The Greek Supreme Court is trying to bury a key investigation in a mass surveillance scandal that targeted journalists. RSF. From: https://rsf.org/en/exclusive-greek-supreme-court-trying-bury-key-investigation-mass-surveillance-scandal-targeted
[4] Pope, H. (2022, April 18). Greek Journalist Targeted by Predator Spyware. OCCRP. From: https://www.occrp.org/en/news/greek-journalist-targeted-by-predator-spyware
[5] Media freedom, rapid response. (2022, April 29). Greece: Letter to government after spyware surveillance of journalist Thanasis Koukakis. MFRR. From: https://www.mfrr.eu/greece-letter-to-government-after-spyware-surveillance-of-journalist-thanasis-koukakis/
[6] Reuters. (2024, July 30). Greek prosecutor drops case against spy service over malware use. Reuters. From: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/greek-prosecutor-drops-case-against-spy-service-over-malware-use-2024-07-30/
[7] Committee to Protect Journalists. (2024, November 5). Greek riot police assault, detain reporter Giorgos Androutsos at protest. CPJ. From: https://cpj.org/2024/11/greek-riot-police-assault-detain-reporter-giorgos-androutsou-at-protest/
[8] International Federation of Journalists. (2024, November 6). Greece: Violent and arbitrary arrest of journalist Giorgos Androutsos must be investigated. IFJ. From: https://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news/detail/article/greece-violent-and-arbitrary-arrest-of-journalist-giorgos-androutsos-must-be-investigated
[9] Council of Europe. (2024, November 15). Greek Journalist Giorgos Androutsos Assaulted and Detained by Riot Police While Covering Protest. Council of Europe. From: https://fom.coe.int/en/alerte/detail/107641683
[10] Chondrogiannos, T. (2024, November 3). Journalist at work covering a protest was violently arrested and subsequently charged. Gov Watch. From: https://govwatch.gr/en/finds/https-www-youtube-com-watch-v-pkfsdmww1ms/
[11] International Press Institute. (2022, December 21). Greece: MFRR alarmed by latest revelations of spying on journalists. IPI. From: https://ipi.media/greece-mfrr-alarmed-by-latest-revelations-of-spying-on-journalists/
[12] Council of Europe. (2022, November 3). Greek Journalists Eliza Triantafillou, Thodoris Chondrogioannos and Tasos Telloglu Allegedly Surveilled. Council of Europe. From: https://fom.coe.int/en/alerte/detail/107638154
[13] Journalists Union of Athens Daily Newspapers. (2024, November 1). Καταδικάζουμε την επίθεση κατά του δημοσιογράφου του Ριζοσπάστη Γιώργου Ανδρούτσου και τη βίαιη προσαγωγή του. Journalists Union of Athens Daily Newspapers. From: https://www.esiea.gr/katadikazoyme-tin-epithesi-kata-toy-di/
[14] Pingen, A. (2024, March 7). EP Resolution on Rule of Law and Media Freedom in Greece. Eucrim. From: https://eucrim.eu/news/ep-resolution-on-rule-of-law-and-media-freedom-in-greece/
[15] Human Rights Watch. (2025, May 8). Greece: Media Freedom in Crisis. HRW. From: https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/05/08/greece-media-freedom-crisis
[16] Free Press Unlimited. (2024, August 1). Statement: EU Ignores Deteriorating Rule of Law in Greece. Free Press Unlimited. From: https://www.freepressunlimited.org/en/current/statement-eu-ignores-deteriorating-rule-law-greece
[17] Camut, N. (2023, May 3). Greece is worst EU country for press freedom (again), report says. Politico. From: https://www.politico.eu/article/greece-worst-eu-country-press-freedom-report/
[18] Kaiser, J. (2024, May 7). Why ‘independent media are cornered’ in Greece. The Parliament. From: https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/news/article/the-eu-is-now-the-key-player-for-improving-press-freedom-in-greece
[19] FYI News. (2025, May 2). RSF: Greece is ranked 89th in press freedom. FYI News. From: https://fyi.news/en/articles/rsf-greece-is-ranked-89th-in-press-freedom/