Page 11 of 46 expression, including for members of the press. Domestic and international agencies, however, said journalists and media outlets faced pressure to avoid criticizing the government or reporting scandals. On January 12, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, urged authorities to ensure “human rights defenders and journalists could work safely and freely.” In May a report by Reporters Without Borders cited concerns about wiretapping of journalists, allegedly by the intelligence agencies and by means of the Predator spyware, concentration of media ownership, government control of public media, and violence against journalists, primarily those covering protests and migration. Freedom of Expression: The constitution and law protected freedom of expression but allowed restrictions on speech inciting discrimination, hatred, or violence against persons or groups based on their race, skin color, religion, descent, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Defamation remained a criminal offense. Violence and Harassment: On July 13, the Journalists’ Union of the Athens Daily Newspapers expressed to Minister of Justice Floridis the need to protect journalists against legal harassment known as Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). The European Commission defined SLAPPs in November as lawsuits lodged against journalists or human rights defenders to prevent them from informing the public and reporting on matters of public interest. On March 14, the country’s member of the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2023 United States Department of State • Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor