UPDs: Journalist Kostas Vaxevanis Arrested for Publishing Lagarde-List

Greek Journalist Kostas Vaxevanis was arrested on Sunday morning at a friend’s home for publishing 2,059 names of Greek HSBC-account holders whose names were on so-called Lagarde-List. 

The journalist wrote on his Twitter account during his arrest:

“@KostasVaxevanis They’re coming in the house with a prosecutor now. They are arresting me. Spread “

He was arrested at 11 o’ clock in the morning, the moment the military parade was starting in Thessaloniki to  commemorate the NO Greeks said to Axis Forces on 28. October 2012.

An hour before his arrest Vaxevanis had Tweeted:

“Outside my home are 15 policemen. Let them come in and arrest me like German collaborators.”

Vaxevanis’s arrest triggered an international outrage with the news spreading from USA down to New Zealand.

Three political parties condemned the arrest.

Main opposition SYRIZA described it as “provocative and unacceptable” and “political”.

Similar was the reaction of Communist KKE.

Nationalist “Independent Greeks” sharply criticized saying “we give up our constitutional rights.”

Odd enough there was no reaction by Democratic Left. But that’s a Samaras’ coalition government party, right?

02:00 pm

After his arrest Vaxevanis was taken to Greek Police headquarters and currently is appearing before the prosecutor.

02: 3 pm

Vaxevanis will be released but will have to appear before the judge tomorrow Monday.

The charges are “illegal processing of personal data and publishing of it”.

3:00 pm

Short before 3 o’ clock Kostas Vaxevanis was set free. He said, he will have to be in court tomorrow Monday at 12 o’ clock noon.

Vaxevanis faces misdemeanour charges of ‘violating private data’. However the message of the state to all investigative journalists is more than clear.

 03:30 pm

After leaving the porsecutor’s office, Kostas Vexevanis made the following statement, saying among others that he committed no crime in publishing personal data, because he did not publish “neither bank account numbers nor amounts on them”.

 Video: Vaxevanis’ statement

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 “Right now, Venizelos and Papaconstantinou should be the indictees because they have got a list, they have hidden it, they have committed misconduct, they have processed people’s personal data, they have harboured criminal and they have not given the Greek state the possibility to get a clue. In a couple of days they will vote for measures to get 1oo euro more from the grandma’s pension in the most remote village of Greece, while at the same time they hide a list with potential tax evaders.” (video via newsitgr)

He also stressed that while a renown newspaper had recently published a list with artists’ names including their income declaration taxes, no prosecutor felt the need to intervene ex officio.

Kostas Vaxevanis was applauded by people who had gathered outside the court to express their support.

He was released after an order by prosecutor, while the latter could have locked him up due to the 48-hour caught-red-handed law.

*Venizelos and Papaconstantinou, the ex finance ministers who kept the Lagarde list for two years.

October 29/2012 – 04:35 pm

Kostas Vaxevanis appeared before court on Monday noon, however his trial has been postponed for November 1st, giving time to Vaxevanis to prepare his defense.