Two lawsuits filed by the President were served a short while ago SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance, Alexis Tsipras against journalists as well G. Papachristos and Ioannis Kourtakis. Although the defendants were summoned via a formal notice served on them to retract their false statements and slander against Alexis Tsipras in connection with vacation home which the latter lawfully leases to the Sounion, they refused to set the record straight.
Instead, they continued their politically driven and «strategically» coordinated campaign to slander and discredit Alexis Tsipras, using sarcasm, insinuations, and derogatory remarks.
Consequently, in keeping with his public commitment and in accordance with the provisions of the law, the president of SYRIZA—Progressive Alliance is proceeding to the next stage, which involves filing two lawsuits seeking one million (1,000,000) euros, to compensate for moral damages resulting from the unlawful defamation of his character, honor, and reputation, which the two journalists and their employers unlawfully and culpably caused through their false and defamatory statements and posts online, in the press, and on television.
We would like to remind you that, in his cease-and-desist letter, Alexis Tsipras had previously announced that he would take legal action to seek an award of an amount equal to the sum cited by the two journalistshad claimed the renovation of his rental home cost.
An amount that will be paid to EDOEAP, the social security agency for media workers.
The lies of Kourtakis and Papachristou…
The two journalists claimed that Alexis Tsipras bought a «villa,» where he moved and now lives, and that renovating it cost €1,000,000.
They claimed that the €1,000,000 was either paid by a construction company belonging to a publicly traded group owned by a well-known businessman, or that Tsipras himself paid it with funds that raise doubts as to whether they were declared in his financial disclosure statement. In fact, Mr. Kourtakis stated that «It’s too late to draw up a lease agreement,» or that it is difficult to conceal the construction company that paid for the repair work, and he clearly implied that illegal acts had been committed, which they are attempting to cover up.
Among the falsehoods and the offensive remarks about A. Tsipras’s character as a citizen and a public figure was Mr. Papachristou’s statement: «It is well known that he has close ties to the establishment.».
The True Facts
In June 2020, Alexis Tsipras rented a vacation home with a floor area of 71 square meters and a basement of the same size, at a monthly rent of 500 euros for the first three years of the lease and 900 euros per month for the fourth year. The agreement included an advance payment of the rent for the first three years into a bank account, which was made in July 2020 to the landlord’s account.
The owner covered the entire cost of the renovation, with the total amount of receipts coming to 20,000.
Alexis Tsipras made all the documents (contracts and invoices) public
Alexis Tsipras's lawyers took on the case of Yiannis Mantzouranis, with many years of uninterrupted experience in criminal and administrative courts, and the Thanasis Kampagiannis, a member of the Athens Bar Association’s Board of Directors and widely known for the fight he waged alongside other lawyers to secure the conviction of the neo-Nazi criminals of the Golden Dawn.
The New Democracy party “sees” an attempt to “silence” the press
Alexis Tsipras's party is coming to the full defense of the reports regarding his vacation home Sun. Mitsotakis, as had been evident from the very moment they first appeared. So, having first endorsed them, he is now defending them, claiming that the SYRIZA president’s goal is not to restore the truth, but to… financially ruin the journalists who signed them. And at the same time, in order to further muddy the waters, it is concocting an unbelievable scenario involving one of Alexis Tsipras’s two lawyers. So, in order to create a sensation, New Democracy is attempting to link Alexis Tsipras’s lawsuit against the disputed articles with… Chr. Kalogritsa.
Specifically, the New Democracy statement reads as follows: «The rule of law enables citizens to defend themselves by seeking justice if they believe that a publication damages their honor and reputation, and such a legal action is the means of redress. The same applies to politicians, who, moreover, have a public platform and can respond; therefore, they resort to the courts only as a last resort for their defense.
It is striking that the Leader of the Official Opposition is suing two journalists, seeking 1 million from each, for articles concerning the rental of the villa in Sounion for 500 euros a month. This specific action by Mr. Tsipras does not suggest a desire for redress but rather the financial ruin of the journalists, and serves as a means of intimidation against those who voice criticism. As prime minister, he attempted to control the media; as a member of the opposition, he is trying to silence voices that bother him.
It is by no means a coincidence that Mr. Mantzouranis, the government’s legal advisor on the implementation of the Pappas Law regarding television licenses in the infamous »pastureland” tender and all the unprecedented revelations coming to light from Mr. Kalogritsa regarding the behind-the-scenes maneuvering and tactics of the SYRIZA government.”.
SYRIZA: New Democracy rushed to act as a defense attorney for Mr. Tsipras’s slanderers
It comes as no surprise that New Democracy rushed to act as a defense attorney for Mr. Tsipras’s slanderers, who for two months now have refused to set the record straight.
After all, it was common knowledge that this cheap and sensationalist attempt to divert attention—involving the opposition leader’s so-called “million-dollar villa”—had been planned and orchestrated in her offices.
However, since they’re talking about exorbitant claims, we’d be curious to hear their response:
How much do you, gentlemen of the New Democracy party, put a price on slander?;
Do you price it lower?;
How much does it cost to pay lip service to government policy?;
How much do the targeted firings of journalists cost when they dare to criticize the government?;
That can't be right; the New Democracy party must have some kind of price list. After all, the Petsas list wasn't put together at random. Let them tell us—at least so we know the prices.
P.S. Alexis Tsipras has stated from the very beginning that the funds he is seeking will be allocated to support EDOEAP, the social security fund for journalists.
