Greek Intelligence Service Accused of ‘Alarming’ Surveillance Activity

Greek journalist Stavros Malichudis has described the activities of the country's National Intelligence Service, EYP as "alarming" after a report alleged that he and others were put under surveillance.

"In theory, the National Intelligence Service is tasked with protecting the national security of the country. But journalism does not threaten society, it serves society," Malichudis told BIRN.

The report by Greek journalist Dimitris Terzis for the newspaper EFSYN on Sunday presented evidence that journalists, civil servants and lawyers dealing with refugees, as well as members of the anti-vaccination movement, are being monitored by the EYP.

Terzis' report alleged that wiretapping of telephone conversations and the creation of "ideological profiles" are some of the measures that have been used by the EYP, which comes under the control of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's office.

The report claimed that Malichudis, a BIRN contributor, was targeted over his report for the Greek investigative media outlet Solomon about a 12-year-old refugee child from Syria who was forced to live for months in administrative detention with his family on the island of Kos.

Terzis alleged that the EYP knew the content of conversations between Malichudis and an employee of the International Organization for Migration, IOM who helped him with the report for Solomon.

Malichudis questioned the EYP's motives for the surveillance.

"The question that needs to be answered is why was the EYP interested in the work of Solomon, and to whom is the intelligence that is collected provided?" he asked.

The International Press Institute said it was "deeply concerned" by the report that Solomon and Malichudis were "secretly...

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