Vienna, 07/11/2014
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is deeply concerned to hear about the recent negative developments regarding media freedom in Greece. The headquarters of Athens Voice, a weekly, have been the victim of an arson attack on 6 November 2014.
Apparently, the office was broken into, doused with flammable liquids and set on fire. No one was injured in the fire that ocurred in the city center.
Following these events, a Greek anarchist group issued a statemenet in which they took full responsibility for the crime. The group named “Black Sundays-Red Nights. Anarchist Group of Anti-Capitalist Action” stated they caused the fire to point out the long working hours, small wages, self-censorship and overall difficult situation employees of such media outlets are facing.
SEEMO and its members fully support the staff of Athens Voice and all other media that are facing threats from anarchistic or other sources. Security and protection of media freedom must be guaranteed, especially in a country with a long democratic history such as Greece. Greek authorities must set out an example and prevent further human rights violations and threats