RSF condemns bomb attack on TV station in Athens
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns yesterday’s powerful explosion that badly damaged the facade of the headquarters of the commercial radio and TV station Skai, one of Greece’s leading broadcasters, without causing any injuries.
The improvised explosive device was detonated outside the Skai building in the early hours, shortly after anonymous warning calls were made to two other media outlets. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
“We firmly condemn this shocking attack on a TV group that had reported being the target of repeated threats and the fact that it was not receiving sufficient protection,” said Pauline Adès-Mével, the head of RSF’s European Union desk.“Every government must pay a great deal of attention to threats against media outlets, including media that are critical of the government. Regardless of the motive for this act of terrorism, it must not deter journalists from doing their job to report the news.”
For the time being, the anti-terrorist police are assuming that it was the work of an extremist group, possibly the Popular Fighters Group (OLA), which has been responsible for at least five similar bombings since 2013*.
Greece’s far-left anarchist groups have for years been using bombs made with small gas canisters to attack businesses, banks and diplomatic offices. A month ago, police defused a bomb left outside the Athens home of the court of cassation’s deputy prosecutor.
Greece is ranked 74th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2018 World Press Freedom Index.
*[Updated on 9 January] The far-left group OLA today claimed responsibility for the 17 December bomb attack on a TV channel in Athens, condemning the allegedly corrupt links between the media and politicians in Greece.
Greece
