Finally justice after 9 years. A court in Athens ruled in favor of Emmanuel Kypraios, a journalist who became deaf in both ears after riot police threw a stun grenade at him during an anti-austerity protest in June 2011.
“A great victory for democracy, the citizens, the (struggling) press and justice,” Kypraios tweeted on Monday. “With the decision A8144 / 15-5-2020, justice condemned the MAT for the attack against me on 15/06/2011. A great victory for democracy, the people, the (struggling) press and justice. We stood upright even nine years later…”
A 3-member Administrative First Instance Court in Athens ruled in favor of the journalist who has been disable for the rest of his life after the attack. The court reportedly ruled against the Greek state and identified two perpetrators.
Kypraios was covering with his camera one of the first big anti-austerity protests. While riot police was attacking the protesters, a stun grenade was thrown at him at a “breathing distance” and thus inside a shopping gallery on Filellinon Street at Syntagma Square. Prior to the attack, he had identified himself as journalist to police.
Manolis Kyrpaios lost his hearing and is currently deaf in both ears. In addition, he is facing a number of health problems including post-traumatic stress disorder, dysfunction of ear labyrinthine, balance problems.
He underwent two surgeries in the head with the aim to have placed a cochlear implant.
Speaking to media, Kypraios said that during his judicial struggle “even laws of 1943 as well as laws from the junta dictatorship were invoked, laws stipulating that even the killing of protesters is allowed in order to suppress popular mobilizations.”