Europa / Europe and the EU + EEA

Greece faces a media freedom crisis as a result of actions and failures by the Greek government, threatening democracy and the rule of law, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

• The pervasive and deliberate constraints on journalism in Greece are creating an environment in which critical reporting is stifled, and self-censorship becomes the norm.
• Journalists face state surveillance, harassment, and intimidation by pro-government actors, and abusive lawsuits by politicians, all of which threaten democracy and the rule of law.
• The EU Commission and the EU as a whole need to monitor the situation carefully and ensure that genuine progress is made on media freedom in Greece and core democratic values are upheld.

The report: From Bad to Worse: The Deterioration of Media Freedom in Greece