Thessaloniki 2024: No sanctions for hate speech on air

Country                                         Greece 

Year                                               2024

Affected group/minority              Turkish community in Western Thrace, Macedonian minority in Greece

Perpetrator                                   VERGINA TV Channel - Mr Kalogiros

Type of case                                 Hate speech

Type of act                                    Verbal

Media:                                            Traditional media (printed, radio, TV)

Reactions:                                     no information

Brief description:          

Mr Kalogiros and his guests systematically slander, insult, and threaten national minority members using his broadcast program at Vergina TV in Thessaloniki, Greece. The most recent case was from June 3^rd, 2024 when in his commentary on the news, Mr Kalogiros openly attacked and threatened European Elections 2024 candidates from Turkish and Macedonian minority origin.

Regardless of the existing law against racist and hate speech in Greece, the authorities have yet not undertaken any steps to sanction Mr Kalogiros for his hate speech attacks in the media. Overall, the law is rarely implemented when victims of hate speech cases are members of minority communities in Greece.

More information on the case can be obtained from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhaYpw5FpFs (min 25:19-28:56)

Transcript in English (min 25:19 - 28:56)

The transcript is provided by NPO “Krste Misirkov”

 Kalogiros (journalist): Now we will see the video because, you know, Mr. Panagiotopoulos may say we should not show you such videos, but I get crazy when this lady comes and says the Macedonians vote for Macedonian and the Turks vote for Turk! And when I see that SYRIZA and PASOK parties do not have a minority candidate in Thrace because they do not want to annoy the Turkish Consular Office... well, this is not possible! I mean, the Supreme Court does not listen?

Does one not see? They say, Justice is blind, is not so, Mr. Panagiotopoulos? But the Supreme Court does not listen? Nobody does see, nobody does talk? What’s happening? That is, the Turk votes for Turk, the Macedonian votes for Macedonian, and the Turkish Consular Office rules in Thrace! And nobody talks when everyone does know what is going on? When the State Security Services do know everything about what is going on? In order not to get in trouble with the Turks? Who renamed half of the Aegean Sea as Turkish, and who changed the name and made it now the Islands’ Sea? Who says that half of Cyprus is Turkish? Are we not allowed to speak up about anything? In order not to ruin the “soup”? Let’s see what the lady was saying.

(Video playing: “I am Evgenia Natsoulidou, candidate for the European elections 2024, with the party Equality, Peace and Friendship of the Turkish Muslim minority in Thrace for our voice to be stronger, together with theirs, in Greece and Europe. There is no lost vote, there is only lost time. It is the time for minorities to support each other because the problems are the same.

We have a chance to count ourselves at this year’s European elections, for them to stop saying we do not exist. Let’s make these elections a kind of census for the minorities in Greece. The Turk votes for Turk and the Macedonian votes for Macedonian. By this way we can support our language, our culture, our local history…)

Kalogiros: So, this is what Mrs Natsoulidou says…

Tzoumas - Εcclesiastical editor: This Mrs. Natsoulidou, what is she?

Kalogiros: She is, I imagine, from somewhere in the region of Edessa or nearby…

Tzoumas: Was she born a Muslim, by religion?

Kalogiros: Let’s be realistic, Mr. Tzoumas. Some people in the region of Edessa do not feel they are Greeks. It is their right! Some other people do not feel they are Greeks and they think they are Turks. It is their right, too! These are to Turkey, and the others to Skopje (he means the Republic of N. Macedonia)! Simple things!

Tzoumas: This video with your petition, I recommend, you should send it with your lawsuit reference to the President of the Supreme Court and the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court. Send it, properly, and wait for what they will answer you. It would be exciting.

Kalogiros: They archive them!

Tzoumas: You should not archive them!

Kalogiros: It is them, not I that archive them! I have sent some before and everything was archived.

Tzoumas: If you get a protocol number, they have no right to archive it. They will answer you!

Kalogiros: Even with the protocol number, they still archive everything. The answer is… Never mind! Anyway, the public is watching, Justice must do its duty, which unfortunately does not.

Mrs Koutsoupia: I must say I trust the Justice. And it will be judged. Everything will be judged. I do trust it… We will see.

Tzoumas: Unfortunately, on these issues, we should not trust it, because it is a matter of political purposefulness, on everything.