Greece: Restriction of press coverage follows Moria’s destruction

When Moria, Europe’s largest refugee camp was destroyed, Greek police imposed restrictions to the journalists reporting on the situation with over 9,000 asylum seekers. They presented the restrictions as temporary; but they are still in effect.

Protection of the press or restriction of press freedom?

On February 2, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published a report . It was a warning that the just implied national guidelines for policing demonstrations “are likely to restrict the media’s reporting and access to information”. And it called “the Greek authorities to review the guidelines in consultation with representatives of the country’s journalists”, which had been absent from the draft of them. What was the case? Based on a presidential decree, a few days earlier the Greek Police had presented the new manual for its operational tactics during demonstrations. According to this, journalists covering protests would now have to work from an area specified by the authorities.