Greek crime reporter George Karaivaz, who worked for Private Star TV and was known for his coverage of legal issues, was shot dead by two gunmen riding a motorcycle near his Athens home early on Friday, local police confirmed.
The incident occurred close to Karaivaz’s home in Alimos, in the south of the Greek capital. The reporter was found dead in his car after sustaining a number of gunshot wounds.
Police said witnesses saw two men on a motorbike pull up alongside Karaivaz’s vehicle and fire an unspecified number of shots at their victim before fleeing the scene.
Despite his coverage of crime and legal matters, including reporting on policing, investigators said that he had not requested protection or raised the alarm about any threats.
Homicide police have cordoned off the area as they investigate the shooting, with no motive having yet been established.
Following the news of Karaivaz’s death, a number of political figures took to social media to express their condolences to the reporter’s family and reaffirm the importance of ensuring journalists are able to work without fearing for their lives.
EU Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said she was “deeply shocked” by the shooting, declaring that “the safety of the journalists should be guaranteed.”
Bernard Grech, the leader of the opposition in Malta – where anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered in 2017 – described the shooting as “deeply disturbing.” Grech said in a tweet that “journalists must never be afraid for their lives in carrying out their work.”
Karaivaz’s colleagues at the news blog he founded, Bloko, posted a tribute to him on Friday, saying that someone had silenced him “to make him stop writing his articles, with bullets.”
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