29/09/2018: New video evidence of police violence and illegal deportation of asylum seekers in Evros

GREEK HELSINKI MONITOR (GHM)

Address: P.O. Box 60820, GR-15304 Glyka Nera Tel.: (+30) 2103472259 Fax: (+30) 2106018760

 e–mail: panayotedimitras@gmail.com website: https://greekhelsinki.wordpress.com

 

Ms. Dunja Mijatović

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights

Commissioner@coe.int

29 September 2018

New video evidence of police violence and illegal deportation of asylum seekers in Evros

Dear Commissioner,

 

Further to our 9 September 2018 letter, we are sending a very important update backed by video evidence posted on Facebook on 24 September 2018 and reprinted (without editing) here.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/687993924641223/videos/740056816335347/

Greek army arrests refugees near Evros river and deports them naked to Turkey

On September 24, late at night, Turkish police found 30 naked and half-naked refugees The refugees were suffering from the cold , In the nearby area on the River Evros , After investigation by the Turkish police, The police knew the following facts, Four days ago, the refugees crossed the Evros River to the other side of the river (Greek territory) from the Turkish river bank to the Greek side
On the other side of the river in Greek territory. The Greek army arrested the group of refugees, The soldiers took the refugees to jail in a nearby area on the river
The refugees remained in prison for two days, some for four days without food, And then The army moved the refugees to the river bank. They were forced to take off their clothes and leave their underwear, some of them fully undressed Even underwear. And The Greek army stole the refugees’ money, telephones, clothes, and shoes, The army hit the refugees with batons and forced the male refugees to cross the river into the Turkish part, naked at night and under darkness. Some refugees do not swim well. The refugees begged Greek soldiers, but refugees who do not follow orders are beaten, The army forced the refugees to swim in the river, Other Refugees, women, children, and families were taken by the army to the other side of the river(Turkish part) by boat. In the Turkish part, some refugees found cement bags empty and covered their bodies.
Turkish police found the refugees in the village of Bosnaköy \ Edirne. In a distance of one kilometer from the river (The village can be found on the Google map)
Date of Event \ Monday, September 24, 2018, Late at night
Refugees, mostly from Pakistan
Refugees say there were about 80 refugees when they were on the banks of the river on the Greek side
Turkish police provided the refugees with clothes and food. The transfer of refugees to the hospital (Sultan Murad Hospital );
Because of the vulnerability of refugees to colds. And injuries due to beatings.

First source

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgqTqBNFO2E
Second source
http://www.milliyet.com.tr/turkiye-cok-buyuk-devlet-edirne-yerelhaber-3052835/

Third source
http://www.milliyet.com.tr/Milliyet-Tv/video-izle/yari-ciplak-turkiye-ye-gonderdiler–kvR2SnCV8rxy.html

Fourth source
http://www.milliyet.com.tr/meric-nehri-nde-multecilerin-kabus-gecesi-edirne-yerelhaber-3052354/
Fifth source
http://www.milliyet.com.tr/yari-ciplak-turkiye-ye-gonderdiler–gundem-2748154/
The location of the village on the Google map. The place where the Turkish police found the refugees
https://www.google.iq/maps/search/Bosnaköy+Edirne/@41.6686786,26.6056057,13z

 

We urge you again to write to the Greek authorities asking them to promptly and efficiently investigate this new group claim of ill-treatment and/or illegal destruction of documents and/or deportation of 80 persons who are now in Turkey by one (or more) Supreme Court Deputy Prosecutor(s) or Athens Appeals Court Prosecutor(s) for the criminal aspect and the Greek Ombudsman for the administrative aspect.

 

We thank you for your attention to this letter.

Yours sincerely

Panayote Dimitras

GHM Spokesperson and OMCT General Assembly Member