Greek parliament lifts immunity for Dimitris Avramopoulos

The Greek parliament has voted to lift the parliamentary immunity of Dimitris Avramopoulos, a former European Commissioner and current lawmaker for the ruling New Democracy party. The decision, supported by 264 out of 266 MPs present, allows Belgian authorities to proceed with their investigation into the ‘Qatargate’ corruption scandal.

A European arrest warrant was issued for the 73-year-old in June by a Belgian investigating judge. The investigation involves allegations of participation in a criminal group, public corruption, and money laundering. Specifically, authorities are examining Avramopoulos’s links to the NGO Fight Impunity, where he served as an honorary board member from 2020 to 2021.

Avramopoulos has categorically denied all allegations of illegal activity, stating that his involvement with Fight Impunity was ‘lawful, audited, approved’ and that he has never acted to serve unlawful interests. He expressed a desire to cooperate fully with authorities to present factual evidence and prove his innocence.