Police chief orders probe into journalist assault

The chief of the Greek Police (ELAS), Lieutenant General Aristides Andrikopoulos, ordered on Tuesday an internal investigation into a journalist's claims that he was verbally and physically attacked by riot police officers during a protest against the Macedonia name deal in Thessaloniki on Saturday.

Andrikopoulos ordered the northern port city's police department to probe the claims by Tasos Aslanidis, a reporter for local news website thestival.gr. Aslanidis sued three riot police officers, claiming he was assaulted while covering the rally.

The suspects, and their immediate superior, face charges of misconduct, verbal abuse with racist content and grievous bodily harm.