ASA Board Decries Second Annulment of Former Greece Chief Statistician’s Acquittal

After the announcement that the Greek supreme court would again annul the acquittal of former Greece Chief Statistician Andreas Georgiou, the American Statistical Association Board issued this statement:

The decision by Greece’s supreme court, announced May 14, to annul the acquittal of its 2010–-2015 chief statistician, Andreas Georgiou, for complicity against the state is an injustice to Georgiou, Greece, and Greece’s economy. The annulment of the May 26, 2017, acquittal is the second such annulment, meaning Georgiou now faces triple jeopardy.

Time and again, Georgiou’s methods and statistics have been endorsed by the international community. In a letter sent earlier this year, 46 organizations and more than 1,100 individuals—including nine Nobel Laureates and many other influential figures—urged Greek authorities to drop its prosecutions of Georgiou and his colleagues, exonerate them of past convictions, drop ongoing investigations relating to their official work, and apologize for the appalling treatment they have endured over a protracted period.

The continued prosecution of Georgiou undermines the current production of Greek statistical figures, the accuracy and objectiveness of which are paramount for attracting foreign investment and ending Greece’s cycles of economic crises. The repeated rejections of acquittals also violate Georgiou’s scientific freedom and human rights. These basic freedoms and rights are essential for our profession and our professionals. The American Statistical Association urges Greek officials to end these unjust prosecutions for the good of all.

The international statistical, economic, and finance community has rallied around Georgiou to fight the unjust charges for statistical work performed accurately and in good faith following international standards. Besides the statement signed by 46 organizations and more than 1,100 individuals, there is a crowdfunding effort to help Georgiou with his mounting legal costs. More information is available at www.tinyurl.com/SupportGeorgiou.