#rbnews international show 08 June 2013: Freedom of the press in Greece (or lack thereof)

This week, on the occasion of the upcoming appeals trial of Kostas Vaxevanis, the journalist who was arrested and tried once already in November 2012 for publishing the Lagarde list in his magazine HOT DOC, the #rbnews international show focused on the issue of freedom of the press in Greece. We were able to interview Kostas Vaxevanis himself, but also Dimitris Trimis, chairman of the Athens Daily Newspaper Editors’ Union, Marios Lolos,  chairman of the Greek Photojournalists’ Union, and his colleague Tatiana Bolari, and Angélique Kourounis, a correspondent for various French-speaking media in Athens, who also acts as the local representative of Reporters Without Borders. This show is part of a series prepared by the radiobubblenews team, which will carry on across the coming week and will seek to discuss the various impediments to the realization of this essential democratic liberty.

You can listen to the podcast, as usual, after the jump.

Cop bashing in peaceful demonstrations sends journos to hospital

By @inflammatory_

Marios Lolos in hospital pic by @xstefanou

"Cop bashing" could be an accurate description of police tactics aiming at halting demonstrations, putting the right to protest at stake, although ordinary citizens are not the only ones being intimidated. Riot policemen have repeatedly assaulted members of the press while covering protests in Greece. 

A formal investigation has been ordered over the assault of several journalists by riot police officers during the latest peaceful demonstrations triggered by the austerity suicide of the 77 years old pensioner.
Marios Lolos, president of the Photojournalists' Association was taken to hospital tonight suffering severe head injuries that might need surgery, following Rena Maniou, redundant reporter from ANT1, who was sent for medical treatment yesterday.