Greece: On the fourth anniversary of Giorgos Karaivaz's assassination, RSF and partners demand justice for the investigative journalist’s murder
Four years after the assassination of Greek crime reporter Giorgos Karaivaz, the criminal investigation appears stuck in a dead end. In a joint statement, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and partner organisations have urged the Greek authorities to ramp up their efforts to end the impunity for the murder of this journalist.
On 9 April 2025 it will be four years since investigative journalist Giorgos Karaivaz was gunned down outside his Athens home in what is widely believed to be a hired murder connected to organised crime groups. Although it remains one of the most violent acts against journalism in the European Union, the crime is still unsolved and the investigation is stalled.
“Four years and two acquittals later, the criminal investigation into the brutal assassination of journalist Giorgos Karaivaz must urgently be brought back on track. Greek authorities must ramp up their efforts to put an end to this glaring impunity in a case that has been recognised as a journalistic killing and one of the most violent attacks on press freedom in the European Union in recent years.
In July 2024, two brothers arrested in May 2023 and charged with participating in the murder were acquitted by the Mixed Jury Court of Athens after a worrying process where the evidence may have been compromised. Despite the family’s appeals, the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court issued a Certificate of Final Decision in December 2024, closing the case in regards to the two main suspects. The Mixed Jury Court of Athens had previously ruled that Karaivaz was murdered because of his work as a journalist.
Since then, no progress has been made publicly known in the criminal investigation despite the fact that two other suspects are still wanted for their possible connection with the murder.
Greece is currently ranked 88th out of 180 countries and territories in the RSF 2024 World Press Freedom Index, the lowest-ranking country in the European Union.
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