The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), today condemned the recent attack on Greek sports journalist George Tselikas.
The attack is the latest in a series of attacks on Greek journalists, and is the third attack on a sports journalist in Greece this year.
George Tselikas, who works for Greek TV SKAI, was assaulted on April 14 by a group of unknown assailants outside a football stadium in Athens where a football match between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos took place. The attackers started to beat Tselikas after they identified him as a journalist.
Tselikas was injured in the ribs and pelvis. In the days after the assault, according to information received by SEEMO, several sports journalists received verbal threats.
SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic urged authorities in Athens, especially police and judicial authorities, to take all necessary measures to ensure that journalists can work in safety and to start a fast investigation of all unsolved cases of attacks and threats against journalists in recent months.
SEEMO said it was alarmed at the fact that journalists in Greece – which is an EU country – are being attacked with such regularity and that the state is not doing enough to protect journalists as they go about their daily work.