Areios Pagos: Mandatory Handing Over of Mobile Phones in Investigation Offices

The Areios Pagos (Supreme Court) has announced that handing over mobile phones is mandatory for everyone upon entering investigation offices. The measure concerns judges, prosecutors, clerks, witnesses, defendants, and lawyers.

The announcement was prompted by a report from a lawyer from the Athens Bar Association, who was asked to leave his mobile phone at the entrance of an investigation office.

According to Areios Pagos, the measure aims to protect the confidentiality of the investigation process. The Vice President of Areios Pagos, Panagiotis Lymberopoulos, stressed that the measure is applied strictly and does not target anyone.

The Areios Pagos announcement states that the judicial authorities are obliged to protect the confidentiality of the investigation, in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure and the law on the protection of personal data.