Galery

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For the first time in the history of Greece a blogger will stand in the dock and will face the real danger to find himself behind bars. The chief news editor at the major private television station Mega, Christos Panayotopoulos sent an appeal to the Athens prosecutor's office which showed that he had received threats to his life through posts in the blog Fimotro (Muzzle). Following an investigation, prosecutors began legal persecution against the journalist Yannis Papayanis. 

According to the complaint, fimotro.blogspot.com published many derogatory texts regarding Christos Panayotopoulos. After the occurrence of the defamatory attacks the Mega news chief began to receive messages and anonymous calls on his mobile phone with threats to his life and that of his son. 

Essential for the initiation of the persecution was the fact that the prosecution had in their hands evidence that Yannis Papayanis was the blog administrator. His electronic trail was discovered by the Authority for prosecuting electronic crime of the Greek police in cooperation with Google. Many Greek media emphasize the seriousness of the case, saying that the international company has provided details of the blogger, although its policy is not to disclose such information. But when Greek police stated that there is a danger to the life of the person concerned, the reaction of Google was immediate. 

The case is expected to begin soon, probably in early autumn, because Christos Panayotopoulos submitted a request to expedite the procedure and to set a more recent date for the trial. 

Legal circles say that the case is of particular importance because it allows the authorities to take measures when blogs publish defamatory and threatening messages because they rely on their anonymity. Moreover, the appeal of Christos Panayotopoulos is not the only one. In the past dozens of others were filed complaints against the blog, with accusations of intimidation, slander, extortion, etc. 

After finding the administrator of the blog, Christ Panayotopoulos’ complaint will be directed against Yanis Papayanis, who will have to answer all allegations and request for monetary compensation. 

In response to the judicial persecution Yannis Papayanis published a text that defines the charge as an attempt of the government to forcefully silence weblogs. He said the persecution started because of a defamatory and threatening message against Christos Panayotopoulos which was proven that was sent from the big shopping center The Mall and from an e-mail address that had nothing to do with this of fimotro.blogspot.com. 

"I want to inform them that fimotro.blogspot.com will not close and that if someone still tries to do it, a thousand other "muzzles” will emerge in the e-space. Yannis Papayanis recommended to the claimant not to "dream of money because I do not have anything in my name. And this is in case you win the case. Because if you do not win, you will make me a hero." 

Many blogs posted the answer of the journalist, emphasizing that they never agreed with his methods and "journalistic vulgarity”. "But in this case, since some people want do him a dirty trick we are obliged to publish his position and support it." 

The comments under Yanis Papayanis’ text can be defined as "love-hate". Some blog readers support him ardently in the dispute with the "big publishing interests" and the resistance against government policy, while others are convinced that the reaction shows how deeply he is involved. 

The discussion about blogger anonymity, from which journalists benefit as well, is not held in Greece for the first time. Several years ago, another journalist was accused of hiding behind a blog, which published "great discoveries". But the case was “examined” only on TV because no complaint was filed due to lack of data on who the administrator was. Greek audience witnessed a tragicomic saga in which a journalist was trying to scream and shout in order to convince his interlocutors that he is not the blog administrator. Once the case subsided, however, all published texts in the blog bear the names of their authors.