In a ruling issued today, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg has found the Hellenic Republic in violation of fundamental principles of the rule of law — specifically the right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence — in relation to statements and actions taken by the former Greek government led by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, and its then-ministers Panos Kammenos and Stavros Kontonis.
Condemnation of Defamatory Conduct
The Court condemned a series of unlawful and defamatory allegations made against media entrepreneur Vangelis Marinakis, including baseless claims linked to the so-called NOOR1 case — for which Marinakis has been definitively acquitted. It also ruled against the use of unofficial documents (‘non-papers’) circulated by the Prime Minister’s press office in 2018, as well as public statements by then-Defence Minister Kammenos and then-Minister of Justice Kontonis.
Systematic Campaign Against Media Independence
The ECtHR decision effectively criticizes a coordinated effort — involving tweets, anonymous media leaks, and televised remarks — aimed at undermining Marinakis’s reputation and, more broadly, restricting the independence of media owners not aligned with or controlled by the government. The judgment highlights how such tactics sought both to influence judicial proceedings and to exert political pressure on independent media outlets.
Political Motivations Confirmed
The ruling serves as formal validation of Marinakis’s long-standing public claims that his involvement in the NOOR1 investigation was politically motivated and intended as a form of ‘hostage-taking’ by the then-government. It stands as a significant rebuke to the political leadership of that period and reinforces core democratic safeguards concerning freedom of expression and due process.