An Insulting Response by Greek Authorities (Commentary)

Reporters without Borders informs us that three of their representatives have been charged with “insulting national symbols” after interrupting the official ceremony of the lighting of the Olympic torch in Greece in protest against the Chinese crack down in Tibet.

The overblown response by the Greek authorities escapes nobody. They reached out to the most abusive pieces of their legislation, insult laws, to punish these actions, in an international show of abuse of authority and disregard for the most basic precepts of freedom of expression.

We at the World Press Freedom Committee believe insult laws are the hallmark of repressive societies —not of a member of the European Union such as Greece— and an effective herbicide for the flourishing of a democratic order. They date back to the Roman Empire, which established them to protect the emperor from the criticism of the rest of society. And throughout history, they have been firmly held by the hands of countless despots.

Insult laws, and the Greek statute is a good example, concentrate an inordinate amount of punishing power on the very public officials who benefit the most from their existence. They usually call for jail sentences and stiff fines and all too often are applied with little regard for basic human rights, such as freedom of expression, freedom of the press and due judicial process.

By invoking this retrograde law, the Greek authorities have gone citious, altious and fortious (farther, higher and stronger) in the repression of fundamental rights and made a mockery of the Olympic motto. They have also relinquished any moral authority they may have had before this unfortunate decision and put themselves close to the same league as that of the Chinese authorities who are in the international community’s crosshairs as a consequence of the Tibetan crack down.

That Olympic flame on its way to China right now is certainly burning much less brightly in the eyes of the community of civilized nations.