Ethics Committee: Maintain immunity for Avghenakis and Lazaridis
The parliamentary Ethics Committee recommends to the Plenary that the parliamentary immunities of New Democracy MPs Avghenakis and Lazaridis should not be lifted.
Ethics Committee opposes lifting of immunity for Avghenakis and Lazaridis
The parliamentary Ethics Committee recommends to the Plenary of Parliament that the parliamentary immunities of New Democracy MPs Eleftherios Avghenakis and Makarios Lazaridis should not be lifted, according to information reported by Naftemporiki. MPs from the governing party voted in favour of maintaining immunity, whilst opposition MPs voted in favour of lifting it.
The Avghenakis case
The request to lift immunity for Avghenakis was submitted on the basis of a file opened following a report by Stefanos Kasselakis, president of DEMOCRATS–Progressive Centre, on 30 September 2025, and a supplementary report on 9 October 2025. The accusation concerns the alleged submission of an inaccurate declaration of assets, in accordance with articles 4a, 39 and 41 paragraph 1 of Law 5026/2023.
In a written memorandum, Avghenakis requested that his immunity not be lifted, categorically denying the charges. "I consider the accusations against me entirely unfounded and I categorically deny them, as they do not correspond to the actual facts and have been prompted by political expediency," he stated characteristically. He added that the case is based on an "erroneous and fragmentary evaluation" of his declared assets and denied any connection to the OPEKEPE case.
The New Democracy MP also stated that he respects the work of the Committee for Monitoring Declarations of Assets and the Ethics Committee, and that "I will respect and fully comply with your decision".
The Lazaridis case
The request for Lazaridis was submitted on the basis of a file opened following a criminal complaint filed by a lawyer on 15 May 2026. The accusation concerns alleged fraud against a legal entity of the Greek state, with damages exceeding €120,000, in accordance with article 386 of the Criminal Code.
Lazaridis is reported to have characterised the case before the Committee as "purely political persecution", noting that the complainant was a fellow politician of Artemis Sorras. He too has requested that his parliamentary immunity not be lifted.
The final decision rests with the Plenary of Parliament, which will be called upon to rule on the recommendations of the Ethics Committee.
Source: Naftemporiki