[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” admin_label=”Divider” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_orientation=”justified” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t the first time. And unfortunately, it\u2019s not an isolated incident for investigative journalism teams in Greece. In an environment where press freedom is systematically challenged and the rule of law is showing alarming cracks, such lawsuits have a cumulative effect: not only against the targeted journalists and media outlets, but against the public itself, which has a right to be informed. <\/span><\/p>\n Our reporting was not the product of speculation or insinuation, but the result of months of investigation, international collaboration, and meticulous documentation. The investigation received a grant from Journalismfund Europe<\/a> and besides MIIR, was published in EfSyn newspaper, as well as our media partners: Siraj, Daraj, VoxEurop and L’Espresso. The principles of journalistic ethics were upheld – even when the plaintiffs chose not to respond to our questions. We absolutely stand behind every word.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We are not going to back down. Not because we can \u201cafford\u201d it – we are, after all, a small team with very limited resources – but because this is our job. To investigate, to ask questions, to cross-check, to expose – even when this becomes annoying. We call on our readers, our colleagues, and journalists\u2019 unions in Greece and abroad to stand with us in the legal battle ahead, defending the right to free and independent information.<\/span> And the follow-up story on the wanted Golden Visa investors in Greece, here: <\/span>https:\/\/miir.gr\/katazitoumenoi-chrysoi-ependytes-stin-ellada\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MIIR and EfSyn face a \u20ac100,000 SLAPP lawsuit by Air Mediterranean after publishing a major investigation, highlighting growing threats to press freedom in Greece.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":17448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" The Mediterranean Institute for Investigative Journalism (MIIR) participated in the Climate Arena Conference 2025 in Budapest which each year unites journalists and scientists from across Europe to collaborate in investigating the climate crisis.<\/span><\/p> It\u2019s been a week since our colleague Konstantina Maltepioti<\/strong> presented the methodology & tools behind MIIR\u2019s \u201cTroubled Waters\u201d investigation. \u00a0\u201cTroubled Waters\u201d was organised and coordinated by Kostas Zafeiropoulos<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> & the MIIR - Mediterranean Institute for Investigative Reporting<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>, with the collaboration of the EDJNet<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/p><\/div><\/div> \u00a0<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> \u00a0<\/p>
<\/b>Seven months after the publication of the revealing, cross-border investigation by MIIR and its partners, which was published in \u201cEfimerida ton Syntakto<\/a>n\u201d (EfSyn) newspaper under the title \u201c<\/span>The Mediterranean Wings of the Underworld<\/span><\/a>\u201d (August 2, 2025), we were served with a lawsuit from the Greek airline AIR MEDITERRANEAN. The lawsuit against our team and EfSyn -requesting a total amount of one hundred thousand (100,000) euros- does not aim to remedy any \u201cdamage\u201d, but to instill fear. A lawsuit carrying a message for anyone who insists on investigating shady activities: \u201cStay away.\u201d\u00a0 It is a classic SLAPP, a case of strategic censorship that attempts to turn journalism into a legal risk and investigations into a financial threat.<\/span><\/p>\n
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<\/span>You can read \u03bfur investigation here: <\/span>https:\/\/miir.gr\/en\/the-mediterranean-wings-of-the-underworld\/<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
During the session \u201cFrom space to spreadsheet: Analysing flood impact using Copernicus satellite data\u201d, along with Jonathan Stoneman (BBC, Arena for Journalism in Europe), Konstantina Maltepioti discussed how \u201cTroubled Waters\u201d explored and analysed the damaging impact of floods in Europe.<\/p>
Check out the scrollytelling here<\/a><\/div><\/div>\u00a0<\/h6>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[78,1,72],"tags":[617,616,558,126,52,58],"class_list":["post-17452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-investigations-featured","category-our-news","category-investigations","tag-slapp","tag-investigative-journalism","tag-investigations","tag-greece","tag-miir","tag-journalism"],"yoast_head":"\n