Athens, Nov 26 (FN Agency) Greek intelligence has never carried out surveillance on any journalist, Greek Minister of State Giorgos Gerapetritis said on Friday, responding to allegations of the Foreign Press Association of Greece (FPA). On November 18, the FPA expressed concerns over what it described as state-sponsored spying by the Greek intelligence on journalists, including reporter Stavros Malichudis, demanding an explanation from the government.
“Concerning the FPA statement on alleged surveillance on journalist Stavros Malichudis by the Greek National Intelligence Service, I would like to repeat that Greece upholds values of democratic society and supremacy of law, especially pluralism and freedom of the press. Consequently, it is evident that Greece does not conduct surveillance on journalists. I assure you that the same concerns mister Malichudis,” Gerapetritis wrote in a statement. The FPA accusation came after Greek newspaper Efimerida on Syntakton (EFSYN) said that the Greek special service was spying on Malichudis, one of its reporters. At a briefing shortly thereafter, government spokesman Ioannis Oikonomou refrained from commenting on the allegation, saying that unlike journalist affairs, intelligence affairs should be kept out of public debate.