Editorial Board
The Scandalous Persecution of a Greek Whistle-Blower
Andreas Georgiou is still being punished for cleaning up his country's public accounts.
Just doing his job.
Photographer: Roy Gutman/MCT via Getty Images
The statistician who exposed the true extent of Greece's fiscal collapse must think that doing the right thing was the worst decision he ever made. Andreas Georgiou has been vilified at home and charged with multiple violations of the country's civil and criminal law. An appeals court has just upheld his conviction for a minor procedural offense, giving him a suspended sentence, and with more serious charges still pending, his protracted legal ordeal isn't over yet.
This officially sanctioned persecution is disgraceful and ought to stop. The European Union has criticized the Greek authorities for their actions in the case, but to no great effect. That needs to change.