Acquittal of Kostas Vaxevanis welcomed by OSCE media freedom representative

VIENNA, 27 November 2013 - OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today welcomed the acquittal of investigative journalist Kostas Vaxevanis in Greece.

“I am very pleased that Kostas Vaxevanis was acquitted of all charges today,” Mijatović said. “His relentless investigative work should be protected by the Greek authorities.”

“Privacy can never be the reason to prevent reporting on issues of public interest, and it is essential that journalists are able to do their work without fear of prosecution,” she added.

Vaxevanis was arrested in October 2012 for having allegedly violated privacy laws by publishing the names of Greek nationals holding accounts in Swiss banks for alleged tax evasion purposes. He was acquitted in November 2012, but the decision was overturned by the state prosecutor and a new trial was ordered.

“Today’s decision by the Court in Athens ends a year-long ordeal that restricted investigative journalism in Greece, and I welcome this positive development,” Mijatović said.

Earlier related statements of the Representative can be found at   //www.osce.org/fom/96683 and //www.osce.org/fom/96846.