Greek court orders pretrial detention of Azeri accused of espionage
The man, who has a temporary Polish residence permit, was arrested on Sunday on accusations of monitoring the base in Souda — a strategic facility for Greece, the US and the Nato military alliance in the eastern Mediterranean.
The news agency said the accused man had denied the charges, saying he was a tourist on holiday to Crete with two companions.
Police acted on information from the country's intelligence service, sources close to the investigation said, adding he had been staying since June 18 in a hotel room with a view that extended to the naval and air force base in western Crete.
During his arrest, police confiscated a high-resolution digital camera with a telephoto lens and USB sticks from his room and found that encryption software was installed on his laptop, the sources said. The evidence included videos and photographs of a Greek Navy frigate, they said.
The investigation is still in progress and authorities are investigating whether the case is linked with the arrest of a British man in Cyprus on suspicion of terror-related offences and espionage. Israel accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Saturday of trying to attack Israeli citizens on the island.

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eNCA
8 hours ago
- eNCA
SANEF condemns targeting of journalists
GAZA CITY - Various organisations have condemned the killing of five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza at the weekend. The killing was reported as a targeted Israeli strike on a tent used by media near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Now the South African National Editors' Forum says not only is this unacceptable, but it's a grave threat to the public's right to information.

IOL News
20 hours ago
- IOL News
UN, media groups condemn Israel's deadly strike on Al Jazeera team in Gaza
Al Jazeera staff members observe a moment of silence to honour their five colleagues, killed in an overnight Israeli strike in Gaza City, at the networks' headquarters in Doha. Gazans gathered on Monday for the funeral of five Al Jazeera staff members and a sixth reporter killed in an Israeli strike, with Israel calling one of them a "terrorist" affiliated with Hamas. Image: Karim JAAFAR / AFP Condemnations poured in from the United Nations and media rights groups after an Israeli strike killed an Al Jazeera news team in Gaza, as Palestinians mourned the journalists and Israel accused one of them of being a Hamas militant. Dozens of Gazans stood amid bombed-out buildings in the courtyard of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City to pay their respects to Anas al-Sharif, a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent aged 28, and four of his colleagues killed on Sunday. Hospital director Mohammed Abu Salmiya said a sixth journalist, freelance reporter Mohammed Al-Khaldi, was killed in the strike that targeted the Al Jazeera team. Mourners including men wearing blue journalists' flak jackets carried their bodies, wrapped in white shrouds with their faces exposed, through narrow alleys to their graves. Israel confirmed it had targeted Sharif, whom it labelled a "terrorist" affiliated with Hamas, alleging he "posed as a journalist". Al Jazeera said four other employees - correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh, and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa - were killed when the strike hit a tent set up for journalists outside the main gate of Al-Shifa. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ An Israeli military statement accused Sharif of heading a Hamas "terrorist cell" and being "responsible for advancing rocket attacks" against Israelis. The military released documents alleging to show the date of Sharif's enlistment with Hamas in 2013, an injury report from 2017 and the name of his military unit and rank. According to local journalists who knew him, Sharif had worked at the start of his career with a Hamas communication office, where his role was to publicise events organised by the group that has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2006. Sharif was one of the Al Jazeera's most recognisable faces working on the ground in Gaza, providing daily reports on the now 22-month-old war. Media freedom groups have condemned the Israeli strike on journalists, which the UN human rights agency called a "grave breach of international humanitarian law". A posthumous message, written by Sharif in April in case of his death, was published online saying he had been silenced and urging people "not to forget Gaza". In July, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called for his protection following online posts by an Israeli military spokesman. The group had accused Israel of a "pattern" of labelling journalists militants "without providing credible evidence", and said the military had levelled similar accusations against media workers in Gaza including Al Jazeera staff. "International law is clear that active combatants are the only justified targets in a war setting," Jodie Ginsberg, CPJ's chief executive, told AFP. Unless Israel "can demonstrate that Anas al-Sharif was still an active combatant, then there is no justification for his killing", she said. Al Jazeera called the attack "a desperate attempt to silence voices exposing the Israeli occupation", as it described Sharif as "one of Gaza's bravest journalists". The Qatari broadcaster also said the strike followed "repeated incitement" and calls by Israeli officials to target Sharif and his colleagues.


The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Sanef slams Gaza journalist killings, calls for action and accountability
The United Nations reported that at least 242 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, with a rising death toll. The South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) has expressed abhorrence and outrage at the continued assassination and brutal murder of journalists in Gaza, saying the actions are deplorable and an 'evil assault on press freedom and human rights.' This comes after Israel killed five Al Jazeera reporters in an airstrike near Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital on Sunday. Attack Correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, alongside cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa, were in a tent for journalists at the hospital's main gate when it was targeted. Reporters without Borders (RSF) said a freelance journalist was also killed in the attack. Israel's military claimed responsibility for the assassination, saying Al-Sharif led a unit of Hamas' armed wing. According to RSF, Mohammed al-Khaldi, the creator of a YouTube news channel, was the sixth fatality, and freelance reporters Mohammed Sobh, Mohammed Qita and Ahmed al-Harazine were wounded. 'Right to information' Sanef said the attack is a 'grave threat to the public's right to information.' 'Sanef has, on numerous occasions, unequivocally condemned the brutality of the Israeli military in specifically targeting journalists and systematically denying other international journalists the ability to report live from Gaza. 'Disturbingly, the Israeli military has admitted to targeting journalists, attempting to unfairly brand them as Hamas operatives without any shred of evidence to justify these cold-blooded murders,' Sanef said. ALSO READ: Sanef condemns Israel's ongoing killing of journalists in Gaza [VIDEO] Journalists killed The United Nations reported that at least 242 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, with a rising death toll. 'We wish to record our deepest repugnance at the death toll of journalists in Gaza since the attack on October 7th, 2023, by Hamas on Israeli civilians,' Sanef said. 'Sanef joins the call of other international organisations dedicated to defending media rights and advocating for media freedom and the protection of journalists, and voices its grave concerns'. Truth reporting The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), has repeatedly highlighted the record number of journalists killed in the conflict, emphasising the urgent need for investigations and accountability. RSF has similarly condemned the deliberate targeting of media workers, underscoring the vital role journalists play in informing the world during times of conflict. 'The world relies on journalists to bear witness and report the truth, and their protection must be paramount,' RSF said. ALSO READ: Sanef 'strongly condemns' Israeli soldiers attack of Al Jazeera in Ramallah [VIDEO]