European Parliament lifts immunity of Afroditi Latinopoulou over Papadimoulis defamation complaint

The plenary vote

The plenary of the European Parliament voted on Thursday, 12 November 2026, to lift the parliamentary immunity of Afroditi Latinopoulou, a Greek MEP who heads the Voice of Reason party. The request came from the Athens Court of Appeals prosecutor's office and reached Parliament on 17 March 2026. Before the plenary, the Legal Affairs Committee had recommended lifting her immunity, reasoning that the statements in question were made before she was elected an MEP. Papadimoulis's lawyers describe the vote as an overwhelming majority decision, although the articles do not give a vote tally. With the immunity lifted, Greek judicial authorities can move on to the next steps in the criminal case file. The lifting is not a ruling on the merits of the complaint and does not establish guilt.

The 2020 post at the centre of the complaint

The complaint concerns a post Latinopoulou published on X, formerly Twitter, on 13 June 2020. According to the complainant, the post said that Papadimoulis and other political figures had contributed to citizens losing trust in politics, and that he had entered politics with little or no wealth before becoming rich by improper means. Papadimoulis, a former vice-president of the European Parliament and a former SYRIZA MEP, says the post falsely implied his fortune was acquired unlawfully and tied him to politicians convicted of serious financial crimes. The official case file, as cited in coverage, frames the alleged act as possibly constituting defamation under the Greek Penal Code. The post was also reproduced widely in media and on social networks. The firm Theodoros p. Mantas and Associates represents Papadimoulis in the case.

Papadimoulis's response

Papadimoulis welcomed the outcome in a social media post, writing 'Better late than never' and saying that those who slander him will be called to account before the courts. He said the European Parliament acted without delay on the matter.

“The European Parliament acted without delay and did what was required today.”

In the same post he said that he has always welcomed political criticism, even harsh criticism, and that he would continue to show firm opposition to attacks on his reputation.

“I will continue to show consistent zero tolerance for deliberate slander and mudslinging aimed at harming my honour and reputation with lies and vileness.”

His lawyers added that the claims are absolutely offensive to their client and that the criminal assessment of the allegations will be made by the Greek justice system.

Timing and next steps

Papadimoulis noted that the case was forwarded from the Greek authorities to the European Parliament only in March 2026, which he cited as a sign of the Parliament's prompt handling once the request arrived. The lifting of immunity removes the institutional obstacle, so the proceedings can continue before Greek judicial authorities. The key dates in the file run from the 2020 post to the March 2026 request and the November 2026 plenary vote.

The articles do not report any response from Latinopoulou to the vote, and they do not indicate when Greek courts will act next.