Top judge sues professor over blog criticism
Supreme Court president Vassiliki Thanou has launched legal action against constitutional law professor Stavros Tsakyrakis for a blog post in which he was critical of Greece’s top judge for writing to her colleagues in other European Union countries asking them to urge the country’s lenders to complete the current bailout review.
Thanou claims that the professor’s article brought the position of supreme court president into disrepute.
Tsakyrakis, who teaches at the University of Athens, said Thanou’s legal action was unfounded.
“The Supreme Court president is confusing criticism, which is every citizen’s right, especially when public figures are concerned, with abuse and defamation.”
He also said the action was “dangerous in institutional terms” as Thanou is asking her colleagues to try Tsakyrakis.
“It has an intimidating effect,” said the academic.
