Gregoris Dimitriades Vindicated by Court Over Defamatory Publication

The Multi-Member First Instance Court of Athens unanimously ruled in favor of Gregoris Dimitriades, granting him financial compensation against the Editors’ Newspaper. The court awarded damages to Mr. Dimitriades for moral harm caused by a defamatory headline published on November 8, 2023, titled: ‘New Out-of-Court Action by G. Dimitriades Against Research on Plagiarism.’ In its decision numbered 868/2025, the court addressed violations of journalistic ethics and the refusal to retract the defamatory article. The court also dismissed as unacceptable, vague, and unlawful the newspaper’s claims regarding a SLAPP lawsuit (strategic silencing through legal actions), because the title combined with the article content misled readers into believing that Mr. Dimitriades’ out-of-court protest aimed to suppress press freedom. The Editors’ Newspaper demonstrated ‘gross negligence’ and breached fundamental journalistic ethical duties. The court noted the newspaper was aware of the offensive nature of the headline concerning the plaintiff’s personality but proceeded with publication. Furthermore, despite Mr. Dimitriades’ out-of-court objection, neither the writers nor the newspaper ever retracted the controversial title or remedied the offense. This judicial decision is highlighted as a significant legal precedent for the boundaries of journalistic responsibility and the balance between press freedom and personality protection.