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Within three days, the management of the public ERT TV has censored three journalists. By order of the news director, Emilios Liatsos, today was the last broadcast on NET TV, at least for now, of the morning show "Morning information".

According to sources, the reason for this decision was the dialogue between the hosts Kostas Arvanitis and Marilena Katsimi while commenting on an article relating to allegations of police violence against detainees in the police headquarters of Attica. They were described in an article in the British newspaper The Guardian. As stated in the notice of the news director, the reporters "made unacceptable insinuations against the Minister of Citizen Protection, Nikos Dendias, not giving him the right to express his opinion. Their comments were like a preliminary presentation of the result of the judgment."

According to the information web site typologies.gr, the dialogue between the two hosts, which sparked Emilios Liatsos’ angry reaction, was as follows:

-The coroner's reports about the 15 arrested about whom Thr Guardian wrote have been released and Mr. Dendias wanted to file a claim against the newspaper.

-Didn’t he submit the claim?

-No, he didn’t, because the reports have shown that it is indeed the case of a criminal offence.

-Will he submit a resignation now?

-I don’t think that he will resign. Oddly enough, Mr. Dendias said it was as if he knew what the reports would be, which is difficult, of course. However, how do you say that, on the other hand?

-So, what will happen? Will he apologize?

-I don’t know.

-Oh, things are difficult for Mr. Dendias. Besides, he is almost a neighbour of yours; he is from Corfu.

-Moreover, I can say that he is a serious person.

Another case is the removal of an ERT3 TV reporter from reporting on the celebrations and the parade in Thessaloniki two days ago because of his comment that police measures were very strict and people could not enter the church of "St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki". In response to his colleague in the studio, who admitted that this was so but the circumstances dictated it, the reporter said, "The government has to think about why things have come to this point."

After a call by the news director, he was removed from the reports during the next two days.

Emilios Liatsos’ decisions have sparked a strong reaction from the Panhellenic Federation of Journalists’ Unions. Colleagues of those punished, in turn, have announced that they will go on continuously repeated 24-hour strikes starting tomorrow until the broadcast is back on air.