Giorgos Karaivaz

Giorgos Karaivaz
Γιώργος Καραϊβάζ
Born(1968-11-27)27 November 1968
Kallifytos [el], Drama, Greece
Died9 April 2021(2021-04-09) (aged 52)
Athens, Greece
OccupationJournalist
Years active1989 - 2021
EmployerStar Channel

Giorgos Karaivaz (Greek: Γιώργος Καραϊβάζ; 27 November 1968 – 9 April 2021) was a Greek investigative journalist who specialized in organized crime. He was assassinated on 9 April 2021.

Biography

Born in Kallifytos [el], Drama, Greece, Karaivaz worked for the television channel Star Channel. He was also founder of the news website Bloko.[1]

Assassination

Karaivaz was shot and killed near his home in Athens suburb of Alimos on 9 April 2021.[2][1][3][4] The first indications were that the assassination was carried out by those involved in organized crime.[5] All Greek parties expressed their condolences,[6] as well as the president of the European Commission Ursula von her Leyen, who declared that an assassination of a journalist in a European country is a "despicable, cowardly act",[7] she then expressed her wish that the perpetrators would be found soon.[2][8]

Karaivaz's computer, car and mobile phone were sent to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. Given the fact that he was an active journalist, the police believed that it is possible that they would find evidence leading them to the murderers, as well as to the persons who ordered the assassination. According to their investigations, they concluded that there were two groups of conspirators. The first group was watching Karaivaz when he left the premises of the Star Channel TV station where he worked, who then informed the team of assassins about his movements.[9]

The police investigators examined the phone calls of the two assassins along with their accomplices and three videos from security cameras at different points of the site of the assassination. The cameras showed that the assassins checked the area around the street of Themos Anninos before killing the journalist.[10] The investigators have also focused on Karaivaz's contacts, as well as on the reports he published on his website bloko.gr, while hoping to find a clue as to the reasons behind the murder.[11]

The European Federation of Journalists announced that they would send a mission to the Greece, partially because of Karaivaz's murder, to assess the concern of media freedom and safety of local journalists.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b "Veteran crime reporter Giorgos Karaivaz shot and killed in Greece". cpj.org. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Giorgos Karaivaz: Veteran crime journalist shot dead in Greece". BBC News. 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  3. ^ Smith, Helena (9 April 2021). "Greek crime journalist shot dead in Athens in 'execution-style' murder". theguardian.com. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Grèce : un journaliste spécialiste des affaires criminelles assassiné devant son domicile". leparisien.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  5. ^ Newsroom. "Λ. Οικονόμου για δολοφονία Καραϊβάζ: Οι έρευνες δείχνουν οργανωμένο έγκλημα | Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ". www.kathimerini.gr. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
  6. ^ Newsroom. "Ο πολιτικός κόσμος για την εκτέλεση του Γιώργου Καραϊβάζ | Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ". www.kathimerini.gr. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
  7. ^ von der Leyen, Ursula. "Murdering a journalist is a despicable, cowardly act. Europe stands for freedom. And freedom of press may be the most sacred of all. Journalists must be able to work safely. My thoughts are with the family of George Karaivaz. I hope the criminals are soon brought to justice". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  8. ^ Newsroom (2021-04-09). "Ούρσουλα φον ντερ Λάιεν: Απεχθής και δειλή πράξη η δολοφονία Καραϊβάζ". CNN.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-04-24.
  9. ^ Σουλιώτης, Γιάννης. "Δολοφονία Καραϊβάζ: Νέα στοιχεία ερευνούν οι αρχές – Τα κλεμμένα σκούτερ στο «μικροσκόπιο» | Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ". www.kathimerini.gr. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
  10. ^ Newsroom. "Δολοφονία Καραϊβάζ: Οι κινήσεις των δραστών μέσα από τρία βίντεο | Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ". www.kathimerini.gr. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
  11. ^ Σουλιώτης, Γιάννης. "Δολοφονία Καραϊβάζ: Οι επαφές και το πόρισμα της ΕΥΠ | Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ". www.kathimerini.gr. Retrieved 2021-04-24.
  12. ^ "MFRR to hold press freedom mission to Greece". European Federation of Journalists. 2021-11-29. Retrieved 2022-01-18.