Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Prominent Greek Journalist Shot Dead by Motorcycle Gunmen


Sat 10 Apr 2021 | 12:05 AM
Omnia Ahmed

A prominent Greek crime journalist was shot dead, near his home in Athens, by two gunmen on a motorbike, police said on Friday.

George Karaivaz, a veteran journalist for private broadcaster STAR TV, was well-known to Greek audiences for his coverage of law and order and police stories.

There were no immediate reports of a possible motive for the shooting. Nonetheless, police stated the murder was clearly carefully planned.

On her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the brutal act on Twitter, affirming that it is a "cowardly act.”

[embed]https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1380578452789661697?s=08[/embed]

“Europe stands for freedom. And freedom of press may be the most sacred of all,” von der Leyen added. “Journalists must be able to work safely.”

Police revealed that Karaivaz was shot Friday afternoon by two inpiduals on a motorbike as they fired multiple rounds near his home in Alimos, in the south of Athens.

A police official indicated that at least 12 bullet casings were collected from the scene.

“It was a professional hit,” according to the police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make statements to the media.

Moreover, Greek government spokeswoman Aristotelia Peloni said the murder “shocked us all.”

“Authorities are already investigating in order to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” Peloni asserted.