Halkidiki: two arrests over crew attack

Two men were arrested in the early hours of Friday, August 14 by officers of the Kassandra Police Department, over an incident that occurred on the afternoon of Thursday, August 13 against a TV crew in Sivyri, Halkidiki. The crew from the MEGA TV channel had been covering the major wildfire that broke out in the area. According to a statement by the Hellenic Police, the offences attributed to the suspects are theft, unlawful coercion, damage to property, threats and insult. The case file also names a third alleged accomplice, whose identity has been established. The arrest came less than twelve hours after the incident, following the use of evidence gathered by police at the scene.

The suspects were brought before the Halkidiki Public Prosecutor. All three are charged and are presumed innocent until proven otherwise by a court. Their names have not been made public. The police statement does not describe in detail how the incident unfolded, nor whether crew members were injured; it refers only to the alleged offences and the progress of the case file. It has not been disclosed whether the equipment referred to in the theft charge was seized or recovered. The identification of the third person means a case file will also be opened against him, though no arrest had been made as of publication.

Attacks on journalists and technical crews covering natural disasters have been recorded repeatedly in Greece in recent years, usually at moments of high tension, when residents feel that the presence of cameras is intrusive or exposing. Journalists’ unions have consistently called for the protection of crews and for such incidents to be prosecuted automatically, pointing out that the ability to cover a disaster is a precondition for public information. Greek criminal law provides standalone provisions for unlawful coercion and threats, regardless of the victim’s occupation, while theft and damage to property are also prosecuted automatically when aggravating circumstances apply.

The incident occurred while the Sivyri wildfire was still ongoing, in an area where hundreds of people were evacuated by boat and tension was high. The burned area is estimated not to exceed 350 hectares. The response of local authorities and the TV station’s management had not been made public as of publication. The investigation continues to determine the exact circumstances. More on the Crime page. The Municipality of Kassandra suspended its scheduled August 15 events because of the fire, while Fire Service crews remained in the area for scattered hotspots. The case fits into a broader pattern of tension during the first hours of major wildfires, when affected residents, operational crews and news teams find themselves in the same place at once.