“Their goal is to bring me to my knees financially and wear me down physically and mentally.”
Makarios Drousiotis – Investigative Journalist/Journalist
The fundraising campaign launched by Makarios Drousiotis has
taken off; within three days, he requested and received 50,000 euros within three days to cover legal fees related to his upcoming trial before the Criminal Court regarding the “Sandy” case, as well as his book *State Mafia*.
“I’ve fought many battles in my life. This is the hardest one.”
Makarios Drousiotis – Investigative Journalist
Intense Confrontation
A few hours after the fundraising effort began, the Minister of the Interior issued instructions to send a letter to the police requesting an investigation into the case
“Under the law governing fundraisers, such an action is illegal, as there is a clear procedure whereby anyone wishing to conduct a fundraiser must submit an application to the fundraising committee, to be evaluated, and a decision to approve or reject the request is made accordingly and under specific conditions.”
Konstantinos Ioannou – Minister of the Interior
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Makarios Drousiotis reacted immediately, reminding the Minister of the Interior that the crowdfunding method he is using does not fall under the relevant law. In other words, he explained that, in practice, he did exactly what Nikos Christodoulides had done a few months before the 2023 presidential election.
“Nikos Christodoulides became president through crowdfunding and had me reported to the police for ‘illegal fundraising.’ They’re hounding me with the criminal code in hand. In progressive societies, crowdfunding is a very common method of supporting civil society initiatives. I did not conduct any fundraiser, and my case does not fall under the scope of the Fundraising Law.”
Makarios Drousiotis – Researcher/Journalist
Legal Analysis
Lawyer Simos Angelidis also weighed in, stating that—the online campaign that was launched—does not appear to fall under the definition of a fundraiser
“Article 2 of the Law refers to a person who, through any means, including the internet, solicits financial assistance for specific purposes, such as charitable ones (…) This practice, which appears to be what is known as crowdfunding—at least as the law currently stands—does not seem to fall within the scope of the law’s interpretation.”
Simos Angelides – Lawyer
The Union of Journalists also issued a
statement in support of Makarios Drousiotis.
“The Cypriot justice system cannot strain at a gnat and swallow a camel! It cannot display inexcusable negligence and slowness in one instance and excessive haste and speed in another.”
Cyprus
Journalists’ Union
The matter is expected to be clarified in the coming hours, following the relevant investigation by the police, which also received a second letter from the Minister of the Interior, since the first—which the Ministry had sent yesterday morning—never reached Police Headquarters for some reason.
See the report by Giorgos Chrysanthos:
