Andreas Georgiou, a well-respected economist and statistician, and former president of the Hellenic Statistical Authority, continues to be harassed and prosecuted for publishing, by all accounts, an accurate assessment of the Greek budget deficits. He has been tried multiple times, found innocent of the charges, or the charges were thrown out but another charge continued to be filed. ... Continue Reading>>
European Union Awards Sakharov Prize to Uyghur Economist Ilham Tohti
On October 24, 2019 the European Union awarded its highest human rights award to Ilham Tohti - The 2019 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. Tohti advocated greater autonomy for the Uyghurs of Xinjiang and was sentenced to life in prison in 2014 on “separatism” charges. The President of the European Parliament noted that since 2017 over 1 million Uyghurs have been detained in internment camps ... Continue Reading>>
Clarification of Case Against Greek Statistician, Andreas Georgiou
In 2010, following the financial crisis of 2007-2009, Greece put Andreas Georgiou in charge of the newly created Greek statistical authority (Hellenic Statistical Authority - ELSTAT). ELSTAT was responsible for computing the government’s debt and budget deficit. Georgiou, at the time as a prominent statistician, who had attended high school in Athens, received his BA in Economics (Summa Cum ... Continue Reading>>
Greek Supreme Court Rejects Third Appeal of Andreas Georgiou, Former Chief Statistician
The American Statistical Association denounces the decision of the Greek Supreme Court rejecting the appeal of Andreas Georgiou for “violation of duty” for not submitting statistics for approval before their release. A three judge panel acquitted Georgiou in 2016 of the same charges. Following is the ASA’s ... Continue Reading>>