21 July 2010

Political blogger and radio journalist slain

A Greek radio journalist and blogger who was about to publish results of an investigation into corruption in the country was lured out of his home in Athens and shot dead on 19 July, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Press Institute (IPI) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). This is the first murder of a journalist in Greece in more than 20 years.

Sokratis Giolias, 37, stepped out of his apartment after three men dressed in security uniforms told him his car was being stolen. He was then riddled with bullets.

Giolias was the director of the private radio station Thema 98.9, and contributor to the popular online news blog Troktiko, which often covers social and political scandals.

"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, report IPI and the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO).


http://www.ifex.org/greece/2010/07/21/corruption_slain/