A prominent Greek journalist -- who published the names of more than 2,000 wealthy Greeks with Swiss bank accounts -- appeared in an Athens court today (October 29, 2012) to stand trial for violating data privacy laws in a case that has attracted worldwide concern, according to the Reuters website.
Costas Vaxevanis -- editor of the "Hot Doc" weekly magazine -- was arrested yesterday for publishing the "Lagarde List" which French authorities gave to Athens in 2010, so that the account holders could be investigated for possible tax evasion.
The list -- and the accompanying saga of how it was passed from one senior official to the next and misplaced at one point without anyone taking action -- has riveted Greeks who are angry with a political class which many believe is unwilling to crack down on the wealthy elite.
"I was doing my job in the name of the public interest," Vaxevanis told a crowd of supporters outside court. "Journalism is revealing the truth when everyone else is trying to hide it," he added.
His trial will resume on November 1. He faces up to two years in prison, if convicted.
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