Dimitras accuses Greek News Agency of false reporting over criminal charges

Human rights defender Panagiotis Dimitras, head of the Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM), has strongly denied recent media claims that he faces felony charges, accusing the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA) of publishing false and defamatory information with the intent to damage his reputation.

In an extensive public statement issued on September 19, Dimitras rejected a news wire published earlier that day by ANA-MPA, which alleged that the Athens Prosecutor’s Office had filed felony charges of breach of trust against him following a financial investigation related to the activities of GHM.

Dimitras refuted both the existence of any such formal indictment and the agency’s reporting of alleged asset seizures, describing them as inaccurate, misleading, and legally questionable.

“Once again, I learned about an alleged criminal case against me from the ANA-MPA, just as I did in May 2023. The claims made then — that all my personal and NGO accounts and assets were frozen — were completely false. In reality, only one personal account was temporarily frozen, and that order was lifted as of December 1, 2024,” Dimitras said.

Claims of procedural irregularities and privacy violations

Dimitras emphasized that the initial financial investigation, initiated in 2023 by the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering, lacked due process and failed to properly inform him of the allegations or the legal basis for the inquiry.

He stated that the financial review focused on funding from 2010 to 2016 amounting to €178,666.80—funds he maintains were entirely used for legitimate operational expenses of the NGO, as documented in official tax filings submitted to the Agia Paraskevi Tax Office.

“The tax authority confirmed that the organization’s revenues came from grants for the fulfillment of its legally defined purpose, and that no misuse of funds took place. The NGO operates at a loss and has not deviated from its mission,” he added.

Furthermore, Dimitras accused ANA-MPA of violating confidentiality laws by reporting on a supposed preliminary investigation, which he says was never properly disclosed to him. He also condemned the agency for recycling statements from 2023 and falsely presenting them as current.

Pending legal action and ECHR complaints

Dimitras announced that he has already filed lawsuits and complaints against ANA-MPA and the Anti-Money Laundering Authority for previous false reporting and data leaks, and he now plans to take additional legal steps following the latest publication.

Two related complaints have also been submitted to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) regarding the legality of the asset freeze and its prolonged extension, both of which the court has declared admissible and has registered for further review.

ANA-MPA report: Conflicting claims

The original ANA-MPA report claimed that Dimitras faces felony charges of breach of trust, based on a report by financial investigators that questioned how certain funds were allocated. The report also claimed that an order had been issued to freeze both his personal assets and those of NGOs under his management.

The same report acknowledged that Dimitras denied all charges, calling the case part of a wider “smear campaign,” and quoted him as saying that all grants were used strictly for human rights work.

The case file reportedly includes at least one additional person linked to Dimitras and has been assigned to an investigative judge.

Source:efsyn.gr