Investigative journalist Artan Hoxha declared “non grata” in Greece

The authorities of the Hellenic Republic declared investigative journalist Artan Hoxha “non grata” yesterday, labeling him “undesirable” and a threat to public order, permanently banning him from entering Greek territory. Hoxha was traveling to the city of Ioannina when he was stopped by Greek border police at the Kakavia crossing point.

At the border police desk, where passports are checked for entry into Greece, Hoxha was informed that he could not enter the country as he was considered a risk to public order and internal security.

His passport was confiscated, and he was held for about an hour by the Greek police. Around 10:30 local time, he was officially notified of the authorities’ decision to declare him “non grata” for an indefinite period.

The decision delivered to Hoxha by Greek police stated:

1. He is classified as an undesirable person.

2. He is considered dangerous to public order and internal security, public health, or the international relations of one or more European Union states.

Later, journalist Artan Hoxha had a mark placed with a pen across the Greek police stamp in his passport and was immediately ordered to leave Greek territory.

This is a repeated case by Greek authorities against Albanian journalists who have exposed or reported illegal activities detrimental to the interests of the Republic of Albania or Albanian national interests. A similar decision was previously taken against Top Channel journalist Marin Mema, who is no longer allowed to enter Greek territory.

Despite being a member of the European Union, Greece has shown that it continues to penalize and discriminate against Albanian journalists who, according to Greek authorities, “harm” national interests.

Hoxha was informed that this decision was made at the beginning of 2024, during the peak of the campaign for the European Parliament elections, when Fredi Bejleri, holding both Albanian and Greek citizenship, was a candidate on the list of the ruling New Democracy party led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

In addition to publicly exposing Bejleri’s involvement in the 1994 “Peshkepi Massacre,” which resulted in the deaths of two Albanian soldiers, Hoxha also faced legal proceedings at the Tirana Criminal Court during 2023–2024.

Over more than 23 years, Artan Hoxha has published investigative articles and documentaries, mainly in *Gazeta Shqiptare* and News24 TV, covering activities harmful to Albanian interests. These include the scandal over the construction of Greek military cemeteries on Albanian territory, the exhumation of villagers’ remains in Kosinë to present them as martyrs of the Greek army during World War II, and other cases affecting Albanian national integrity.

Hoxha has extensively investigated the Peshkepi Massacre of 1994, the most serious attack on Albanian territorial integrity since the mid-1960s. The massacre was carried out by a commando unit from Greek territory, which attacked the Peshkepi border post in Gjirokastër, took 130 Albanian army recruits hostage for several hours, and killed two soldiers, Fatmir Shehu and Arsen Gjini.

He has presented evidence that members of the Greek police, Albanian citizens affiliated with the ultra-nationalist pre-military organization MAVI (Northern Epirus Liberation Front), and Fredi Bejleri were involved in this attack. In 2018, Hoxha also exclusively published footage of the Bularat incident, showing that the Albanian-Greek citizen Konstandinos Kacifas was not a martyr defending Greek national symbols but an armed terrorist who fired at the Dropull police.

During the 2024 election campaign, Hoxha collaborated with several Greek media outlets to publish articles revealing how Fredi Bejleri allegedly helped Albanian criminals evade Greek justice by presenting them as Greek minorities defending Orthodox churches in Greece.

“KORÇA BOOM”