[MGSA-L] Fwd: Greek national broadcaster shut down by government in a 1.5 page decision

[Neni Panourgia]

FYI

np/




Dear good friends,

I apologize for the late time and the 'collective' dispatch of my 
message, but this is a real political unrgency.

As you probably know, earlier today the Samaras coalition government of 
Greece in an unprecedented move decided without any prior negotiation 
the closure of the National Broadcaster, ERT, and all its departments 
including news agencies, TV, radio, archives, digital collections, 
orchestras, etc., and to fire all workers.

This was implemented through a 1,5 page ministerial decision (Ypoyrgiki 
Apofasi) signed today by Simos Kedikoglou, Deputy Minister to the Prime 
Minister(??) and Yiannis Stournaras, Minister of Finance, but not 
approved by the Parliament.
http://news.in.gr/files/1/2013/06/11/ERTFEK.pdf (only available in Greek)

Signage was cut down (with police escort) at 11.00 pm, while ERT was 
broadcasting images from the courtyard of its main building, where 
thousands of citizens had gathered to protest peacefully against the 
decision.
Shortly afterwards, the webpage www.ert.gr <http://www.ert.gr> was 
blocked - arguably the first time access to internet had been officially 
interrupted in Greece.

This is the culmination of an increasingly authoritarian policy, by an 
administration which at the same time denies to explicitly denounce 
racism and to bring a new anti-racist legislation to the Parliament, 
ignoring recommendations by the Commissioner of the EU for Human Rights, 
Nils Muiznieks
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2013/05/12/ignoring-eu-greece-wont-ban-golden-dawn/

No surprise, the racist party Golden Dawn (MPs of which have formally 
denied the Holocaust in Parliament speeches) has fully supported the 
governmental decision on ERT...
http://www.newsit.gr/default.php?pname=Article&art_id=214795&catid=12

The reaction by Greek citizens is enormous and contained. Since ERT does 
not exist anymore and private broadcasters prefer to play movies, you 
can only see online action here
http://www.zougla.gr/Controls/livecamera2/article/flash-camera-4 (again 
in Greek)

It is absolutely necessary that this huge violation of democratic 
procedures and of the elementary right of the citizens of an EU state to 
have access to free, non-commercial broadcasting of news through a 
public institution be strongly condemned by active, influential 
academics worldwide.

No economic conditions can justify the curtailing of democratic rights 
and institutions.

We rely on all our friends overseas to make this case as strong as 
possible.






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