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Greek journalist shot dead outside his home in Athens

Armed attackers have killed a Greek journalist  early on  Monday morning outside his home in Athens and fled by car.
At least three unknown attackers have shot against the  35-year-old journalist Sokratis Guyolas (photo) at about 5:20am the man has died on the spot. According to early information the attackers have called the journalist  claiming that his car is stolen and opened fire. The police have found about 20 fired cartridges on the crime  scene.
At around 7:00 a.m. a burned car was found approximately 1.5 kilometers from the crime  scene, and police believe it was the killers’ getaway car. The car had been stolen from nearby Alimos two days earlier (Saturday, July 7) and its theft had been reported by the owner to the local police station.
Giolias headed the radio station Thema FM and wrote on a popular online news blog, Troktiko, which often deals with scandals.
The blog site said two or three gunmen were believed to have shot Giolias, who was married and had  a young child.
According to an announcement by the Police department, the guns that were used belong to the terrorist organization ” Sexta Protestors” . His lawyer Yiannis Marakakis, underlined that the police could find useful information in his files, that may even show the murders. They believe it was an organized crime as it was proved that the terrorists, followed the journalist during the last weeks.
“The government categorically condemns this cold-blooded and cowardly murder,” government spokesman George Petalotis said. “Democracy and freedom of speech can’t be gagged.”
In a written statement, parliament president Philippos Petsalnikos, on behalf of the House, expressed rage and grief over the killing, and conveyed the MPs’ condolences to Giolias’ family.
Main opposition New Democracy (ND) party press officer Panos Panagiotopoulos, a former journalist himself, said the “cold-blooded murder of journalist Socrates Giolias creates sentiments of abhorrence in the public and shocks the journalistic family, of which he was an eminent member”.
He added that Greek society was expecting the authorities to quickly solve “this very dark case” and “locate and arrest the murderers as speedily as possible”.
The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) condemned “the heinous murder” and expressed its condolences to the deceased’s family.
Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) leader George Karatzaferis said that “today is a sad day because not only a courageous journalist was murdered but journalism itself”.
“Socrates Giolias’ murder was an act of intimidation, a death contract signed by those who were displeased with Socrates’ revealing reporting,” Karatzaferis added.
The Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (SYN) said the “gangster-style” murder has caused shock among journalists but also more generally as well, and expressed its condolences to the deceased’s family.
The Panhellenic Federation of Journalists’ Unions (POESY) strongly condemned the killing, adding that the execution of the killing employed the most barbarous method witnessed by Greek society, and renders imperative the immediate and drastic action of the authorities to solve the crime and bring the perpetrators to justice.
POESY also expressed condolences to Giolias’ family, stressing that it was at their side.
Greece and especially the press, are shocked, hoping that the criminals who killed Giolias will be arrested soon!

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