Davostag

[Augustus]

 

Opposition Leader John Greger Dead

17 January 5634 | Kivonia, Davostag (Backdated)

 

 

John Greger, former journalist, activist and opposition leader.

 

The protests by the opposition, led by the Union for Democratic Reform and their current leader Lena Greger, continues without any sign of ending. If one is to believe the estimated number of protesters, it has reached about 785,000, most are in and around the capital of Kivonia, while thousands are spread out to other major cities as the civilian and military police forces have an increasingly harder time to keep them in check. About 16 have died since the protests began, 7,000 injured and 9,700 arrested. As we now reach about 60 days of protests, looting and much more, we can confirm the news that opposition leader and founder of the Union for Democratic Reform, John Greger, at age 63, has died in police custody, awaiting trial for corruption and attempted bribery. The police authorities have yet to release the cause of death, as the government seems to be tightening the flow of information in and out from the various agencies and departments upon the news of his death.
 
John Greger was a longtime investigative journalist, employed here at Riksbladet since 5608, and one of the country's most respected media figures. Apart from his political endeavours, he is most well known for leading our investigation of what is now known as Fiskenätsskandalen ("the Fishing net scandal"), which had been at the time one of the largest corruption scandals in Davostag's recent history, and which would subsequently bring down the-then rikspresident Markus Sverkersson. He was later known for the Gregerskandalen ("the Greger scandal"), which involved Axel Rodin's government and their usage of the-then newly passed Specified Prerogative Act, which Greger alleged to have revealed that the government had used two major cities for experimental policies in regards to ethnic demographic manipulation. As a result of this controversial and still debated publication, which was accused of complete fabrication to attempt to bring down Dahler's presidency as well, he was fired from Riksbladet and lost his journalist license. As a political figure, Greger led his Union for Democratic Reform with little success, gaining only 3.2% of the vote in the 5628 election; and now just recently accused of having attempted to garner the support of big business for his political aspirations and just charged with breaking the Electoral Actions Law. A controversial figure in recent times, yet well respected for his earlier work of true examples of objective journalism, John Greger will surely be remembered for times to come.
 
The leadership of the Union for Democratic Reform stated that they were horrified to learn of Greger's death and point towards the refusal to state the cause as direct evidence that rikspresident Dahler had a hand in it. The party leader and wife of Greger, Lena Greger, has not been available, said to have secluded herself in one of the protest occupied buildings outside of Kivonia. However, the protesters did not wait on her to direct them and began violently engage with the military police all over the country, screaming things like "Death to Dahler" and "Avenge Greger". A spokeswoman for the military police stated that the situation is becoming increasingly serious. No comments are being made by the government, the State Council or the rikspresident's office. But it would seem as if the protests are evolving into something entirely different, the only thing that can maintain its course is right now Lena Greger.
 
News report written by Peter Åkerman.