Prison sentences for New Democracy officials over illegal use of diaspora data
An Athens three-judge court has imposed prison sentences on a former MEP and party officials for illegal handling of personal information belonging to thousands of Greeks living abroad.
Prison sentences for New Democracy officials over illegal use of diaspora data
An Athens court has imposed custodial sentences on a former MEP and three senior party officials, finding them responsible for illegal handling of personal information belonging to thousands of Greeks living abroad.
The court decision concerns a case that came to light in 2019, when it was revealed that electronic addresses belonging to 25,500 citizens who had registered their details for postal voting were used for pre-election communications. The data had been submitted to state services and subsequently diverted to party mechanisms.
In the dock were former MEP Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou, former General Secretary of the Interior Ministry Michalis Stavrianuadakis, former Secretary of Local Government Menios Koromilas and former Secretary of Diaspora Affairs Nikos Theodoropoulos. The former MEP was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment suspended.
The decision provoked political reactions. Opposition parties accused the government of converting state mechanisms into instruments of party propaganda. New Left, PASOK, SYRIZA and ELLAS characterised the case as evidence of the weaponisation of the state.
From the government's side, the government spokesperson attempted to downplay the significance of the decision, stating that it concerned only a single message. The opposition countered that the conviction involved thousands of citizens and not an isolated incident.
The case raises issues of privacy protection, transparency and trust in democratic institutions. Opposition parties are demanding political accountability and full clarification of how state files were diverted to party structures.
Source: Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών
Source: Efimerida ton Syntakton