European Parliament resolution of 7 February 2024 on the rule of law and media freedom in Greece [with paragraph on Panayote Dimitras]

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Treaty on European Union (TEU), in particular Articles 2, 4(3) and 7(1) thereof,

–  having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (‘the Charter’),

–  having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights and the protocols thereto,

–  having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

–  having regard to the international human rights treaties of the United Nations and the Council of Europe,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget (the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation)⁽¹⁾,

–  having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (Common Provisions Regulation)⁽²⁾,

–  having regard to its report following the mission of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs to Athens, Greece, from 6 to 8 March 2023 at the initiative of its Monitoring Group on Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights (DRFMG),

–  having regard to the country chapters on Greece in the Commission’s annual rule of law reports, in particular those of 2021, 2022 and 2023,

–  having regard to the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights concerning Greece,

–  having regard to the report of the investigation of alleged contraventions and maladministration in the application of Union law in relation to the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware and its recommendation of 15 June 2023 to the Council and the Commission following the investigation of alleged contraventions and maladministration in the application of Union law in relation to the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware⁽³⁾,

–  having regard to the Commission proposal of 16 September 2022 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a common framework for media services in the internal market (European Media Freedom Act) and amending Directive 2010/13/EU (COM(2022)0457),

–  having regard to the proposal of 27 April 2022 for a directive on protecting persons who engage in public participation from manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings (‘Strategic lawsuits against public participation’) (COM/2022/0177),

–  having regard to Directive 2010/13/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2010 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the provision of audiovisual media services (Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS) Directive)⁽⁴⁾,

–  having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas the Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, as set out in Article 2 TEU, and as reflected in the Charter and embedded in international human rights treaties;

B.  whereas a Member State’s compliance with the values enshrined in Article 2 TEU is a condition for the enjoyment of all the rights derived from the application of the Treaties to that Member State, including the right to EU funding; whereas according to Article 7 TEU, the Union can assess the existence of a clear risk of a serious breach of the values referred to in Article 2;

C.  whereas, in recent years, the rule of law and media freedom have been deteriorating in Greece; whereas this situation has not been sufficiently addressed, many concerns remain and many issues continue to arise;

D.  whereas, in 2022, Greece adopted legislation aiming to enhance the transparency of media ownership, and set up a registry for print media, as well as a registry for electronic press, making registered companies exclusively eligible for state advertising⁽⁵⁾;

E.  whereas the AVMS Directive establishes that Member States must ensure that national regulatory authorities or bodies exercise their powers impartially and transparently and in accordance with the objectives of the directive, in particular media pluralism, cultural and linguistic diversity, consumer protection, accessibility, non-discrimination, the proper functioning of the internal market and the promotion of fair competition; whereas it further states that Member States must ensure that national regulatory authorities or bodies have adequate financial and human resources and enforcement powers to carry out their functions effectively;

F.  whereas the agreement between co-legislators in the European Media Freedom Act is expected to enhance transparency requirements regarding direct and indirect media ownership, the allocation of state funding to media outlets in the form of state advertising, as well as the appointment and dismissal of the management boards of public service media; whereas the Media Freedom Act is expected to establish strong safeguards against undue surveillance of journalists and the editorial teams of media outlets;

G.  whereas the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform had identified two cases of impunity for murder, nine active alerts and two other alerts without reply by the end of 2023;

H.  whereas Greece has the lowest ranking of any EU country – 107th place – in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders;

I.  whereas media freedom, pluralism and the independence and safety of journalists are crucial components of the right to freedom of expression and information, and are essential to the democratic functioning of the EU and its Member States and to safeguarding the rule of law, including the fight against corruption;

J.  whereas the Commission has concluded that Greece meets the milestones for EU funding, since an anti-corruption strategy has been adopted by its National Transparency Authority (NTA); whereas the NTA does not have a track record for exercising effective and independent oversight; whereas the Commission’s conclusion seems to be based merely on the adoption of a strategy on paper, not on effective measures in practice;

K.  whereas according to the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International, Greece has shown a worrying decline in issues concerning the rule of law among the 27 EU Member States; whereas this is a negative development also reflected in the country’s increased corruption perception index score;

L.  whereas in the so-called Petsas List scandal, EUR 20 million of state funds was distributed among media outlets for public health communication campaigns, including non-existent websites and personal blogs; whereas certain media outlets were excluded altogether without any justification and with non-transparent criteria;

M.  whereas a preliminary investigation by the Greek General Directorate of Financial and Economic Crime Unit has found that at least 270 funded media outlets were not properly and lawfully registered and that the loss to public funds exceeds EUR 3 million;

N.  whereas the nephew and former Secretary-General of the Prime Minister’s Office initiated several lawsuits in 2022 against the newspaper EFSYN, the online investigative platform Reporters United and individual journalists, seeking the removal of an article implicating him in a national spyware scandal involving the company Intellexa, as well as compensation of EUR 550 000; whereas the article, among other things, caused a public outcry, which ultimately led to his resignation from the role of Secretary-General of the Prime Minister’s Office; whereas further details concerning his role in the spyware scandal have since emerged; whereas numerous international freedom of expression and media freedom organisations have condemned the lawsuit as a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) aimed at suppressing critical reporting;

O.  whereas the recently published 2022 Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE) annual report revealed that thousands of cases of prosecution orders to gain access to communications on national security grounds had not been reported to the ADAE in time by the Greek National Intelligence Service (EYP) and the Special Violent Crime (Counter Terrorism) Division of the Police;

P.  whereas an exorbitant fine of EUR 435 000 was imposed on the weekly newspaper Documento News by the tax authorities in December 2023; whereas the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom condemned this measure and expressed its dismay on 7 December 2023;

Q.  whereas Panayote Dimitras, a human rights activist and founder and head of the Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM), is being prosecuted for illegal trafficking even though it appears that he was acting lawfully to provide humanitarian assistance to asylum seekers; whereas in December 2022, he was handed down a fine and prohibited from being involved with the GHM; whereas the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights voiced concerns about the case; whereas the Anti-Money Laundering Authority ordered the freezing of all of Dimitras’s assets in May 2023; whereas Dimitras stated on 31 May 2023 that he had only received EU funding designated for combating hate speech and that the funds were only used for that purpose; whereas the recent acquittal of 16 aid workers and volunteers demonstrates that criminal charges against those providing humanitarian assistance to asylum seekers have no legal basis;

R.  whereas the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation is of the utmost importance for protecting the EU budget;

S.  whereas the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) launched an investigation on 28 November 2022 into the abuse of EUR 700 million in subsidies for a rail safety system; whereas 23 people have since been arrested in connection with the scandal, except for (former) government ministers who are shielded from prosecution through a decision of the Greek Parliament, for which the Greek Constitution was invoked;

T.  whereas the Greek Government, in addition to Greek police representatives, refused to meet with Parliament’s DRFMG delegation during its official mission; whereas the Greek Prime Minister met with a European People’s Party local German delegation the following day; whereas this refusal to meet with any minister or other high-level government representatives is unprecedented during fact-finding missions since the establishment of the DRFMG in 2018;

U.  whereas Greece has adopted several laws in the framework of equality, some of which contain major loopholes; whereas the Greek law that bans so-called ‘conversion practices’ on minors and other vulnerable persons does not cover cases where ‘conversion practices’ are performed by priests or other religious and/or spiritual leaders, or specialists without official qualifications, and those performed on adults who have given their consent; whereas those who carry out such practices can only be held liable if they have accepted money to perform them; whereas there was major upheaval in the LGBTIQ+ community in the summer of 2023 following the death of a queer artist from Cuba, Anna Hernández, found stabbed to death in her home and initial police reports misgendering her;

V.  whereas in the European Institute for Gender Equality’s 2023 gender equality index, Greece scored 58 points out of 100 and ranked only 24th in the EU; whereas according to the 2023 evaluation by the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence monitoring the implementation of the Istanbul Convention, Greece does not currently have any rape crisis centres and/or sexual violence referral centres;

1.  Expresses severe concerns about very serious threats to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Greece; stresses that checks and balances are essential for a robust democracy and notes with concern that these have come under heavy pressure;

2.  Is deeply concerned by the failure of law enforcement and the judicial authorities in Greece to make progress in the investigation into the murder of the Greek journalist George Karaivaz on 9 April 2021; notes that two suspects were arrested in April 2023, but otherwise there has not been any discernible activity in the police investigation; strongly urges the authorities to take all the necessary steps towards conducting a thorough and effective investigation, and to bring those involved in the murder, at any level, to justice; urges the authorities to request assistance from Europol;

3.  Is greatly alarmed that, aside from this murder, many journalists face physical threats, verbal attacks, including from high-ranking politicians and ministers, the violation of their privacy with spyware, and SLAPPs; underlines that this creates a chilling effect for them; calls for these SLAPPs, in particular, to be dropped immediately; insists that the government has the obligation to take all necessary steps to bring the perpetrators of crimes against individuals, journalists and other media actors to justice, as well as to create a safe environment for all journalists;

4.  Expresses deep concern about the many cases of excessive use of force by police services against minority groups and peaceful protesters in general; calls on the authorities to fully and independently investigate all such instances; is deeply concerned by the fact that three young Roma have been killed in recent years in Greece through alleged police violence, and by the lack of a thorough investigation thereof; notes with concern that in some cases the police cleaned up the crime scene before a forensic examination took place; recalls that the competent court acquitted four police officers of involvement in the death of LGBTIQ+ activist Zak Kostopoulos in 2022, despite footage showing police using unnecessary force;

5.  Calls on the government to ensure the full independence of its national regulatory authority for the audiovisual sector as required under the AVMS Directive;

6.  Stresses that media pluralism is under threat, as media ownership in the country is mainly distributed among a small number of oligarchs, resulting in dramatic under-reporting on certain topics, such as concerns over the rail safety system prior to the Tempi train crash; notes with concern the lack of transparency in the distribution of state subsidies to media outlets; notes the Commission’s conclusion that media regulators lack resources; questions the objectivity and independence of the Greek National Council for Radio and Television and is concerned about the sudden replacement of the oversight board in September 2023; calls on the Commission to monitor the implementation of new media law No 5005/2022 of 21 December 2022, in particular as regards media ownership transparency;

7.  Calls, with regard to the illicit use of surveillance technology such as Predator spyware, for:

	(a)	institutional and legal safeguards, including effective ex ante and ex post scrutiny, as well as independent oversight mechanisms, to be urgently restored and strengthened;
	(b)	all export licences that are not fully in line with the Dual-Use Regulation(6) to be urgently repealed and for the allegations of illegal exports, among others to Sudan, to be investigated;
	(c)	guarantees that the authorities can investigate all allegations of the use of spyware freely and in an unhindered manner;
	(d)	the reversal of the 2019 legislative amendment that placed the EYP under the direct control of the Prime Minister;
	(e)	guarantees of the independence of the NTA leadership;
	(f)	the urgent launch of a police investigation following the alleged abuse of spyware and for the seizure of physical evidence of proxies, broker companies and spyware vendors linked to spyware infections;
	(g)	Europol to be immediately invited to join the investigations; condemns the illegitimate instrumentalisation of the term ‘national security threat’ as a justification for the unacceptable wiretapping and surveillance of political opponents, including current Members of the European Parliament Georgios Kyrtsos and former Member Nikos Androulakis; expresses serious concern about the influence of the Prime Minister over the EYP, which is under the direct competence and supervision of his office;

8.  Notes with great concern that independent authorities such as the ADAE and the Greek Data Protection Authority (DPA) have come under increasing pressure owing to their work concerning the EYP’s illegitimate wiretapping; notes, further, that the Greek Parliament suddenly replaced the ADAE’s board members in 2023 on the eve of the ADAE’s decision to impose a fine on the EYP, and just before the ADAE and the DPA called for a crucial step to be taken in the investigation into the spyware scandal;

9.  Calls on the Greek Government to urgently withdraw amendment 826/145 to Law No 2472/1997, which abolished the ability of the ADAE to notify citizens of the confidentiality of communications being lifted, and to restore the full independence of the judiciary and all relevant oversight bodies, such as the Ombudsman and the DPA, in order to ensure that all oversight bodies enjoy full cooperation and access to information and are able to provide complete information to all victims;

10.  Expresses concern about the underfunding, understaffing, curtailing of powers, opaque appointment procedures, and harassment and intimidation of officials of independent public bodies such as the Ombudsman, whose mandate and the duration thereof must be in line with the Paris Principles and the European standards on equality bodies, the DPA and the ADAE; notes, further, that the National Transparency Agency, which should play a vital role in scrutinising the public authorities, does not seem to be effective and concerns have been raised about its independence; calls on the Greek Government to ensure the independence and operational autonomy of independent oversight bodies, in accordance with the Greek Constitution and the applicable national and EU legal requirements, and to improve its compliance with their recommendations; points out that the systematic difficulties and delays in appointing the management of independent oversight bodies undermine their effectiveness and authority; is very alarmed by the sudden replacement of the board members of the ADAE and the oversight body for the public broadcaster in September 2023, just as the ADAE and the DPA had called for a crucial step to be taken in the spyware investigation;

11.  Is deeply concerned that the transfer of the spyware investigation to another prosecutor, following the previous prosecutors’ request to the ADAE to check whether the 92 people targeted by Predator spyware (including national members of parliament and MEPs, journalists and government officials) had also been subject to surveillance by the EYP, will lead to the investigation de facto ending; reiterates its call for Europol to be involved in the investigation;

12.  Strongly condemns the intimidation and harassment used against officials who are scrutinising the government, such as former anti-corruption prosecutor Eleni Touloupaki and Christos Rammos, head of the ADAE; expresses its dismay at the Supreme Court prosecutor’s intervention and alleged attempt to stop an ADAE request for a telecommunications company to check surveillance orders in 2022;

13.  Stresses with severe concern that corruption is eroding public services and goods; underlines that the length of judicial proceedings, compounded by doubts over the integrity of parts of the police force, and conflicts of interest at the highest level, including alleged police infiltration by organised crime groups, will lead to a culture of impunity where corruption can thrive; stresses that the authorities have yet to establish a solid track record in the investigation and prosecution of high-level corruption cases that lead to final convictions with a deterrent effect; calls on the government and the authorities to remedy these issues as a matter of priority;

14.  Calls on the Greek Government to adopt immediate measures and the necessary reforms to improve the capacity and transparency of the police to investigate cases of organised crime, including to look into strong indications of links between organised crime and the police throughout its ranks;

15.  Calls on the government to fully implement all judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as to comply with interim measures imposed by the Court;

16.  Notes that, to date, no measures have been taken with regard to the participation of the judiciary in the appointment procedure for the highest judicial offices, namely judges, to the posts of President and Vice-President of the Council of State, the Supreme Court and the Court of Audit;

17.  Expresses its deep regret and sorrow at the tragic loss of life in the shipwreck of 14 June 2023, when a fishing boat sank in the Ionian Sea off the coast of Pylos, Messenia, Greece, with over 600 persons on board presumed dead; is deeply concerned by the lack of progress made in the judicial investigation; welcomes the investigations by the European Ombudsman and the Greek Ombudsman into the catastrophe; expresses severe concern about the treatment of migrants at the external borders and domestically, following systematic pushbacks and violence against non-EU nationals, their arbitrary detention and the theft of their belongings; is further severely concerned about the conditions in reception centres, especially in terms of protecting individuals against crimes being committed and access to basic sanitation; considers that the Fundamental Rights Officer at the Ministry of Migration and Asylum needs a broader and independent mandate, so as to be able also to effectively investigate pushbacks; calls on the Commission to assess the compliance with EU law of border surveillance systems using behavioural analytics, and of the EU funding thereof; condemns the Commission’s dramatic failure to enforce EU laws with regard to reception conditions, pushbacks and human rights, and believes that infringement proceedings are more appropriate than the Commissioner’s praise;

18.  Is concerned by the attacks against civil society and, in particular, smear campaigns and judicial harassment by Greek authorities targeting human rights activists; is alarmed by the recent trials against humanitarian workers and people who provide humanitarian assistance to migrants and refugees; calls on the Greek authorities to drop all charges immediately and ensure that humanitarian workers and volunteers can provide assistance safely and freely;

19.  Believes it to be crucial that the judicial investigation into the Tempi train disaster be conducted swiftly and comprehensively, covering all actors involved, including responsible government officials; is not satisfied with the scrutiny carried out by the competent committee of the Greek Parliament, as it appears to lack political impartiality and to be reluctant to call on key expert witnesses to testify; is deeply concerned by the Greek Parliament’s refusal to conduct an investigation as requested by the EPPO regarding two former ministers for transport⁽⁷⁾;

20.  Is concerned about the restrictive regulatory framework for registering civil society organisations, in particular as regards organisations active in migration and social inclusion; urges the government to immediately lift the restrictions imposed on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and journalists reporting on migration with immediate effect and to review the legislative framework as a matter of priority; calls for it to support and enhance all initiatives contributing to more transparency in these matters, such as the Human Rights Commission’s pushback-reporting mechanism;

21.  Notes that Greece has put in place a legal framework regarding equal treatment and positive steps have been taken in that direction, such as the creation of the new Human Rights Commission; is concerned, however, about the weak legal framework and discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people, Roma and other minorities; calls on the government and all other political forces to show leadership and promote societal change in this regard, especially as regards domestic violence, police violence and marriage equality, which has been under discussion for several years;

22.  Acknowledges the existence of helplines and specialised police domestic violence response services, but also urges the government to set up comprehensive rape crisis centres and to make sure that victims of sexual violence can have immediate access to medical care, trauma support, forensic examinations and psychological support; calls on the government to make femicide a stand-alone crime;

23.  Welcomes the ban on non-consensual surgeries and calls for the proper training of medical professionals to properly welcome and provide care for intersex persons;

24.  Welcomes the equal marriage bill tabled in the Greek Parliament and calls for its swift adoption;

25.  Calls on the government to improve the legislative process by introducing real and meaningful consultation and to abolish the controversial practice of omnibus legislation;

26.  Deplores the fact that the Greek Government and police authorities refused to meet with representatives of the European Parliament during its official mission in April 2022 and calls for the current Greek Government to establish a constructive dialogue with the European Parliament;

27.  Calls on the Commission to make full use of the tools available to it to address the breaches of the values enshrined in Article 2 TEU in Greece; calls, in particular, for an assessment of compliance with the Charter in the implementation of the relevant EU funds as required by the Common Provisions Regulation; calls for a Commission assessment under the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation of the consequences of the failure to implement relevant judgments by the European courts; recalls that, should financial measures be adopted, the Commission must ensure that the final recipients or beneficiaries of EU funds are not deprived of these funds, as set out in Article 5(4) and (5) of the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation, and must find ways to ensure that EU funds reach citizens, businesses, regional and local authorities, NGOs and any other relevant stakeholders if the government does not cooperate concerning deficiencies in the rule of law, especially given the impacts of the economic crisis, the high cost of living and the increase in poverty in the country;

28.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the United Nations.

(1)OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 1.(2)OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 159.(3)OJ C, C/2024/494, 23.01.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/494/oj.(4)OJ L 95, 15.4.2010, p. 1.(5)Law No 5005/2022 of 21 December 2022 on ‘Strengthening of the publicity and transparency of print and electronic media – Establishment of electronic registries of print and electronic media and other provisions under the competence of the Secretariat General for Communication and Media’.(6)Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 setting up a Union regime for the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use items (OJ L 206, 11.6.2021, p. 1).(7)In office from 5 November 2016 until 9 July 2019 and from 9 July 2019 until 1 March 2023.

Source

Text in Greek

Ψήφισμα ΕυρωΚοινοβουλίου για κατάσταση θεμελιωδών δικαιωμάτων σε ΕΕ

Human Rights Watch Annual Report on Greece

Syrian survivor Mohammad, 18, who was rescued with other people after their boat, the Adriana, sank off the Greek coast, hugs his brother Fadi, who came to meet him from Netherlands, as they reunite at the port of Kalamata, Greece, June 16, 2023.
© 2023 REUTERS/Stelios Misinas

Greece

Events of 2023

1. Attacks on Civil Society
2. Freedom of Media
3. Migrants and Asylum Seekers
4. Racism and Intolerance
5. Women’s Rights

Keynote

The Human Rights System Is Under Threat: A Call to Action

Tirana Hassan

Executive Director

During 2023, abuses against asylum seekers and migrants continued, including violent pushbacks, abuses in detention, and vigilante violence. The government also smeared and judicially harassed civil society groups working with asylum seekers and migrants. Media freedom curbs continued to raise concerns about the rule of law, as did a surveillance scandal. Victims of hate crimes were reluctant to report attacks to the police. The New Democracy Party was returned to government following June elections.

Attacks on Civil Society

The European Commission’s 2023 Rule of Law Report noted shrinking space for civil society. CIVICUS, a nongovernmental group assessing civic freedoms globally, downgraded civic space in Greece from “narrowed” to “obstructed” due to “the repeated targeting of civil society and activists working with refugees and asylum seekers, disproportionate responses to protests and continuous legal harassment and surveillance of journalists.”

United Nations special rapporteur on human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, noted in a March report to the UN Human Rights Council that migrant rights defenders “have been subjected to smear campaigns, a changing regulatory environment, threats and attacks and the misuse of criminal law against them, to a shocking degree.”

Judicial review applications challenging a problematic 2020 regulatory legal framework for nongovernmental groups working with migrants were pending before the Council of State—Greece’s highest administrative court—as of late October.

At the end of 2022, Greek authorities brought unfounded charges against two migrants’ rights defenders, Panayote Dimitras and Tommy Olsen, for their work shedding light on human rights violations taking place at Greece’s borders and seeking justice for those affected. In May 2023, Dimitras learned via leaks in the media that Greece’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority had ordered a freezing of his assets pending an investigation of alleged misuse of European Union and other funding related to his organization’s work. He was notified of the decision to freeze one bank account in July.

In January 2023, the Court of Appeal of Mytilene found procedural flaws in what a European Parliament report called the “largest case of criminalization of solidarity in Europe” against Sarah Mardini, Séan Binder, and 22 other defendants, and it rejected part of the case. The case relates to efforts in 2018 to help rescue migrants and asylum seekers in the Aegean Sea.

In February, the prosecution appealed the decision, and an appeal hearing took place in May. In June, the Supreme Court recognized that there had been major procedural flaws and rejected the prosecution’s appeal. A linked investigation against a group of humanitarians, including Mardini and Binder, for alleged smuggling and money laundering was ongoing at time of writing.

In January, Council of Europe human rights commissioner, Dunja Mijatovic, warned against the prosecutions of Dimitras, Mardini, and Binder and urged Greek authorities “to ensure that human rights defenders and journalists can work safely and freely, by providing an enabling environment for their work and publicly recognizing their important role in a democratic society.”

Freedom of Media

For the second year in a row, Greece was last among EU countries in Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) 2023 World Press Freedom Index. Problems include a major ongoing surveillance scandal, government interference, and abusive lawsuits. A government spokesperson dismissed RSF as “unreliable.”

In its Rule of Law Report published in July, the European Commission noted that threats and attacks against journalists persist.

In a resolution adopted in June related to an ongoing major spyware scandal and revelations that the government surveilled independent journalists, an opposition leader, and others, the European Parliament found Greek authorities had contravened EU law and urged them to conduct urgent reforms to tackle the illicit use of Predator spyware. According to a media report, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) opened an investigation in April into Greece’s illegal use of Predator spyware in the wiretapping scandal.

In July, the Greek Data Protection Authority announced the initial results of its investigation into the use of Predator spyware, confirming that attempts were made to install spyware on multiple peoples’ devices. So far, the DPA has not identified those responsible.

In a European Parliament plenary debate in February, numerous Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) warned against a backsliding of the rule of law in Greece, particularly due to the spyware scandal and state of media freedom.

In a development welcomed by media freedom organizations, authorities announced in April the arrests of two suspects in connection with the 2021 murder of crime reporter Giorgos Karaivaz. RSF added that full accountability for the murder of Karaivaz requires that “all those responsible for the crime including the mastermind must be apprehended.”

A September report by press freedom groups criticized Greek authorities for inaction and inadequate investigations into the unsolved 2010 murder of journalist Sokratis Giolias. The groups called on the authorities to independently review the Giolias and Karaivaz cases and improve investigative practices in all cases involving crimes against journalists.

Migrants and Asylum Seekers

Over 38,400 asylum seekers and migrants arrived by sea and land from January to early November, compared with 18,780 in all of 2022.

A fishing vessel carrying an estimated 750 people sank on June 14 off the coast of Pylos. In the aftermath, several of the 104 survivors alleged that the vessel sank after being towed by a Greek coast guard boat. Greek authorities have denied these claims. Forty survivors filed a criminal complaint in September against Greek authorities, alleging that they failed to take adequate rescue measures and towed the vessel, causing it to capsize and sink. The survivors have demanded an immediate, thorough, and reliable investigation into the shipwreck.

In a July letter to the prime minister, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic noted Greece’s legal obligation to conduct effective investigations into the Pylos shipwreck to establish the facts and, where appropriate, to ensure the punishment of those responsible.

In response to the Hellenic Coast Guard’s decision to forgo an internal disciplinary investigation into the actions of its personnel during the Pylos shipwreck, the Greek Ombudsman’s office initiated an independent inquiry in November to examine the acts and potential omissions of coast guard members. Human rights commissioner Mijatovic commended this action and urged Greek authorities to provide full cooperation with the Ombudsman’s investigation.

Reporting in May by the New York Times on the pushback from Lesbos of 12 migrants, including children and an infant, added to mounting evidence of collective expulsions by Greek authorities. The European Commission called for a “proper follow up” by authorities. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called such practices “completely unacceptable” and referred to separate investigations being conducted by Greek prosecutors, the Ombudsman, and the National Transparency Authority (NTA). The European Parliament’s LIBE Committee, its PEGA inquiry committee, and nongovernmental groups have raised concerns about the NTA’s independence and effectiveness.

In May, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders, MSF) called on Greek authorities to investigate reports of hundreds of missing migrants and allegations of people being threatened, abducted, and ill-treated on Lesbos. In a November report, MSF highlighted an alarming pattern of violence against individuals reaching Greek shores, adding to the already overwhelming evidence of violence and pushbacks at Greek borders.

A March report by the Greek Council of Refugees found that pushbacks of asylum seekers and migrants to Türkiye are widespread and involve illegal detention, intimidation, physical and sexual violence, and the arbitrary confiscation of personal belongings. Greece’s migration minister reported in April that the Greek police prevented 260,000 people from entering the Evros land border in 2022. 

At least 20 asylum seekers reportedly died, including two children, during major forest fires in the Evros region in August, highlighting an additional risk to people on the move who are already facing violent pushbacks by authorities and attacks by vigilantes.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), after expressing concern about the ongoing criminalization of human rights defenders providing lifesaving assistance to migrants, urged Greece in August to “ensure a transparent and impartial investigation” into alleged violations of nonrefoulement and the right to life involving Greek law enforcement personnel, including the Hellenic Coast Guard.

In September, a Greek court awarded €15,920 in compensation to an Afghan asylum seeker unjustly imprisoned for three years on charges of smuggling and causing a shipwreck. According to lawyers, the case is one of thousands, with people charged or convicted of smuggling making up the second largest prison population in Greece.

Nongovernmental groups PRO ASYL and Refugee Support Aegean in May denounced conditions in the EU-funded Closed Controlled Access Centres in the Aegean islands, calling them prison-like facilities that fail to meet human rights standards. In a May report, INTERSOS Hellas, HIAS, and the Greek Council for Refugees published their findings that refugees and rejected asylum seekers in Greece face widespread food insecurity due to complex and lengthy procedures coupled with discriminatory criteria that, in practice, exclude them from most social benefits in Greece.

The UN working group on the use of mercenaries issued a report in July based on a visit to Greece in December 2022. The report, which examines the role of private security companies and security personnel in the migration context, calls for additional “government efforts to strengthen existing complaint mechanisms and ensure the prevention of human rights violations and protection of vulnerable groups.”

In January, the European Commission issued infringement letters against Greece, including over the arbitrary detention of asylum seekers during screening procedures.

In February, the Council of State submitted preliminary questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) regarding Greek legislation designating Türkiye as a safe third country for asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Racism and Intolerance

In April, the Racist Violence Recording Network (RVRN) reported 74 incidents of racist violence in 2022 and noted that underreporting of racist violence continued.

In August, racist violence escalated in Evros against asylum seekers and migrants, whom vigilantes accused, without presenting evidence, of being responsible for forest fires. Numerous reports and videos about vigilante “militias” targeting asylum seekers and migrants emerged as well as a viral video showing a civilian holding 13 migrants against their will in his truck while calling for a pogrom against them. He was arrested along with two alleged accomplices.

Women’s Rights

According to a March report by the Mediterranean Institute for Investigative Reporting, Greece recorded the highest annual increase in reported femicides among 20 European countries during the pandemic, with an increase of 187.5 percent in just one year, from 2020 to 2021.

Refugee Support Aegean reported in July that Afghan single mothers seeking asylum in Greece face challenges and protection risks.

In an April ruling concerning the living conditions of a pregnant woman in a reception center for asylum seekers, the European Court of Human Rights found that Greece had violated the prohibition on torture or inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment by forcing the woman to live in conditions that violated her human rights.

Επιστροφή στον Μεσαίωνα για τα δικαιώματα στην Ελλάδα, βλέπει η HRW

Κόλαφος για τη χώρα μας η ετήσια έκθεση του Παρατηρητηρίου Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων

11.01.24 19:04

Μαρία Ψαρά

Ευδοκιμούν ο ρατσισμός και η μισαλλοδοξία

Με μελανά χρώματα περιγράφει η ετήσια έκθεση του Human Rights Watch την κατάσταση στην Ελλάδα. Η έκθεση καταγράφει -μεταξύ άλλων- τη συνέχεια των καταχρήσεων κατά των αιτούντων άσυλο και των μεταναστών, των δικαστικών διώξεων της κοινωνίας των πολιτών που εργάζονται με αιτούντες άσυλο και μετανάστες, περιορισμούς στην ελευθερία των μέσων ενημέρωσης που συνεχίζουν να εγείρουν ανησυχίες για το Κράτος Δικαίου, όπως και το σκάνδαλο των παρακολουθήσεων. Επισημαίνεται ακόμη το φαινόμενο, τα θύματα εγκλημάτων μίσους να είναι απρόθυμα να αναφέρουν επιθέσεις στην αστυνομία, ενώ οι γυναικοκτονίες στην Ελλάδα αυξήθηκαν περισσότερο όλα τα κράτη-μέλη της Ε.Ε.

Την ίδια στιγμή, η έκθεση κατακρίνει και την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, απαριθμώντας τις «καταπιεστικές» μεταναστευτικές πολιτικές, τις διακρίσεις σε βάρος περιθωριοποιημένων κοινοτήτων και τη δημοκρατική οπισθοδρόμηση ορισμένων κρατών μελών, ως ορισμένες από τις ελλείψεις της Ε.Ε. στα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα το 2023. Επίσης, οι Βρυξέλλες καταγγέλλονται για τα «διπλά μέτρα και σταθμά» τους στην εξωτερική πολιτική: πλήρης υποστήριξη στην Ουκρανία και τον λαό της, όχι όμως και για τους πολίτες της Γάζας.

«Η συζήτηση στην Ε.Ε. για τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα είναι υποβαθμισμένη και γι’ αυτό είναι προσωπική ευθύνη της προέδρου της Κομισιόν Ούρσουλας Φον Ντερ Λάιεν», σχολίασε ο διευθυντής Προάσπισης της Ε.Ε. του Παρατηρητηρίου Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων Φιλίπ Νταμ.

Αναλυτικά η έκθεση για την Ελλάδα αναφέρει τα εξής:

«Κατά τη διάρκεια του 2023, συνεχίστηκαν οι καταχρήσεις κατά των αιτούντων άσυλο και των μεταναστών, συμπεριλαμβανομένων βίαιων απωθήσεων, καταχρήσεων κατά την κράτηση και βίας. Η κυβέρνηση επίσης σπίλωσε και παρενόχλησε δικαστικά ομάδες της κοινωνίας των πολιτών που εργάζονταν με αιτούντες άσυλο και μετανάστες.

Oι περιορισμοί της ελευθερίας των μέσων ενημέρωσης συνέχισαν να εγείρουν ανησυχίες για το Κράτος Δικαίου, όπως και το σκάνδαλο παρακολούθησης. Τα θύματα εγκλημάτων μίσους ήταν απρόθυμα να αναφέρουν επιθέσεις στην αστυνομία», αναφέρει στην εισαγωγική του τοποθέτηση το Παρατηρητήριο Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων, επισημαίνοντας ότι «το Κόμμα της Νέας Δημοκρατίας επέστρεψε στην κυβέρνηση μετά τις εκλογές του Ιουνίου».

Επιθέσεις στην Κοινωνία των Πολιτών

Η έκθεση της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής για το Κράτος Δικαίου το 2023, σημείωσε συρρίκνωση του χώρου για την κοινωνία των πολιτών. Η CIVICUS, μια μη κυβερνητική ομάδα που αξιολογεί τις ελευθερίες του πολίτη παγκοσμίως, υποβάθμισε τον αστικό χώρο στην Ελλάδα από «στενό» σε «μετ’ εμποδίων» λόγω «της επανειλημμένης στόχευσης της Κοινωνίας των Πολιτών και των ακτιβιστών που εργάζονται με πρόσφυγες και αιτούντες άσυλο, τις δυσανάλογες απαντήσεις στις διαμαρτυρίες και τη συνεχή νομική παρενόχληση και παρακολούθηση δημοσιογράφων».

Η ειδική εισηγήτρια των Ηνωμένων Εθνών για τους υπερασπιστές των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων, Mary Lawlor, σημείωσε σε μια έκθεση του Μαρτίου προς το Συμβούλιο Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων του ΟΗΕ ότι οι υπερασπιστές των δικαιωμάτων των μεταναστών «έχουν υποβληθεί σε εκστρατείες συκοφαντικής δυσφήμισης, σε ένα μεταβαλλόμενο ρυθμιστικό περιβάλλον, σε απειλές και επιθέσεις και στην κατάχρηση. του ποινικού δικαίου εναντίον τους, σε συγκλονιστικό βαθμό».

Οι αιτήσεις δικαστικής αναθεώρησης που αμφισβητούσαν ένα προβληματικό ρυθμιστικό νομικό πλαίσιο του 2020 για μη κυβερνητικές ομάδες που εργάζονται με μετανάστες εκκρεμούσαν ενώπιον του Συμβουλίου της Επικρατείας —του ανώτατου διοικητικού δικαστηρίου της Ελλάδας— στα τέλη Οκτωβρίου.

Στα τέλη του 2022, οι ελληνικές αρχές απήγγειλαν αβάσιμες κατηγορίες εναντίον δύο υπερασπιστών των δικαιωμάτων των μεταναστών, του Παναγιώτη Δημητρά και του Τόμι Όλσεν, για το έργο τους που έριξε φως στις παραβιάσεις των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων, οι οποίες λαμβάνουν χώρα στα σύνορα της Ελλάδας και αναζητούσαν δικαιοσύνη για όσους επλήγησαν. Τον Μάιο του 2023, ο Δημητράς έμαθε, μέσω διαρροών στα μέσα ενημέρωσης, ότι η Αρχή Καταπολέμησης της Νομιμοποίησης Εσόδων από παράνομες δραστηριότητες της Ελλάδας είχε διατάξει δέσμευση της περιουσίας του, εν αναμονή της έρευνας για φερόμενη κατάχρηση της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και άλλη χρηματοδότηση που σχετίζεται με το έργο του οργανισμού του. Ενημερώθηκε για την απόφαση δέσμευσης ενός τραπεζικού λογαριασμού τον Ιούλιο.

Τον Ιανουάριο του 2023, το Εφετείο Μυτιλήνης διαπίστωσε διαδικαστικές ατέλειες σε αυτό που μια έκθεση του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου αποκάλεσε τη «μεγαλύτερη υπόθεση ποινικοποίησης της αλληλεγγύης στην Ευρώπη» εναντίον της Sarah Mardini, του Séan Binder και 22 άλλων κατηγορουμένων, και απέρριψε μέρος της υπόθεσης, που σχετίζεται με τις προσπάθειες, το 2018 για βοήθεια στη διάσωση μεταναστών και αιτούντων άσυλο στο Αιγαίο Πέλαγος.

Τον Φεβρουάριο, η εισαγγελία άσκησε έφεση κατά της απόφασης και ακολούθησε ακρόαση έφεσης τον Μάιο. Τον Ιούνιο, το Ανώτατο Δικαστήριο αναγνώρισε ότι υπήρχαν σημαντικές διαδικαστικές ατέλειες και απέρριψε την έφεση της εισαγγελίας. Μια συνδεδεμένη έρευνα εναντίον μιας ομάδας ανθρωπιστών, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των Mardini και Binder, για εικαζόμενη λαθρεμπορία και ξέπλυμα βρώμικου χρήματος βρισκόταν σε εξέλιξη τη στιγμή που γραφόταν αυτή η έκθεση.

Τον Ιανουάριο, η επίτροπος ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων του Συμβουλίου της Ευρώπης, Dunja Mijatovic, προειδοποίησε για τις διώξεις των Dimitras, Mardini και Binder και προέτρεψε τις ελληνικές αρχές «να διασφαλίσουν ότι οι υπερασπιστές των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων και οι δημοσιογράφοι μπορούν να εργάζονται με ασφάλεια και ελευθερία, παρέχοντας ένα ευνοϊκό περιβάλλον για τους εργάζονται και αναγνωρίζοντας δημόσια τον σημαντικό ρόλο τους σε μια δημοκρατική κοινωνία».

Ελευθερία των Μέσων Ενημέρωσης

Για δεύτερη συνεχόμενη χρονιά, η Ελλάδα ήταν η τελευταία μεταξύ των χωρών της Ε.Ε. στον Παγκόσμιο Δείκτη Ελευθερίας του Τύπου του 2023, των Δημοσιογράφων Χωρίς Σύνορα (RSF). Τα προβλήματα περιλαμβάνουν ένα μεγάλο συνεχιζόμενο σκάνδαλο παρακολούθησης, κρατική παρέμβαση και καταχρηστικές αγωγές. Ένας κυβερνητικός εκπρόσωπος απέρριψε το RSF ως «αναξιόπιστο».

Στην έκθεσή της για το Κράτος Δικαίου, που δημοσιεύθηκε τον Ιούλιο, η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή σημείωσε ότι οι απειλές και οι επιθέσεις κατά δημοσιογράφων συνεχίζονται.

Σε ψήφισμα που εγκρίθηκε τον Ιούνιο, σχετικά με το συνεχιζόμενο μεγάλο σκάνδαλο παράνομου λογισμικού και τις αποκαλύψεις ότι η κυβέρνηση παρακολουθούσε ανεξάρτητους δημοσιογράφους, αρχηγό της αντιπολίτευσης και άλλους, το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο διαπίστωσε ότι οι ελληνικές αρχές είχαν παραβιάσει το δίκαιο της Ε.Ε. και τις προέτρεψε να προβούν σε επείγουσες μεταρρυθμίσεις για την αντιμετώπιση της παράνομης χρήσης του λογισμικού κατασκοπείας Predator. Σύμφωνα με δημοσίευμα των ΜΜΕ, η Ευρωπαϊκή Εισαγγελία (EPPO) άνοιξε έρευνα τον Απρίλιο για την παράνομη χρήση του Predator από την Ελλάδα στο σκάνδαλο των υποκλοπών.

Τον Ιούλιο, η Ελληνική Αρχή Προστασίας Δεδομένων ανακοίνωσε τα αρχικά αποτελέσματα της έρευνάς της για τη χρήση του κακόβουλου λογισμικού Predator (spyware), επιβεβαιώνοντας ότι έγιναν προσπάθειες εγκατάστασης spyware σε συσκευές πολλών ανθρώπων. Μέχρι στιγμής, δεν έχουν εντοπιστεί υπεύθυνοι.

Σε μια συζήτηση στην ολομέλεια του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου, τον Φεβρουάριο, πολλά μέλη του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου (ευρωβουλευτές) προειδοποίησαν για την υποχώρηση του Κράτους Δικαίου στην Ελλάδα, ιδίως λόγω του σκανδάλου spyware και της κατάστασης της ελευθερίας των μέσων ενημέρωσης.

Σε μια εξέλιξη που χαιρέτησαν οργανώσεις για την ελευθερία των μέσων ενημέρωσης, οι αρχές ανακοίνωσαν τον Απρίλιο, τη σύλληψη δύο υπόπτων σε σχέση με τη δολοφονία του δημοσιογράφου του αστυνομικού ρεπορτάζ Γιώργου Καραϊβάζ, το 2021. Η RSF πρόσθεσε ότι η πλήρης λογοδοσία για τη δολοφονία του Καραϊβάζ απαιτεί «όλοι οι υπεύθυνοι για το έγκλημα, συμπεριλαμβανομένου του εγκέφαλου, να συλληφθούν».

Έκθεση του Σεπτεμβρίου από ομάδες για την Ελευθερία του Τύπου επέκρινε τις ελληνικές αρχές για αδράνεια και ανεπαρκείς έρευνες σχετικά με την ανεξιχνίαστη δολοφονία του δημοσιογράφου Σωκράτη Γκιόλια, το 2010. Οι ομάδες κάλεσαν τις αρχές να επανεξετάσουν ανεξάρτητα τις υποθέσεις Γκιόλια και Καραϊβάζ και να βελτιώσουν τις πρακτικές έρευνας σε όλες τις υποθέσεις που αφορούν εγκλήματα κατά δημοσιογράφων.

Μετανάστες και αιτούντες άσυλο

Περισσότεροι από 38.400 αιτούντες άσυλο και μετανάστες έφτασαν δια θαλάσσης και ξηράς από τον Ιανουάριο έως τις αρχές Νοεμβρίου, σε σύγκριση με 18.780 το 2022.

Ένα αλιευτικό σκάφος που μετέφερε περίπου 750 άτομα, βυθίστηκε στις 14 Ιουνίου στα ανοιχτά της Πύλου. Στη συνέχεια, αρκετοί από τους 104 επιζώντες ισχυρίστηκαν ότι το πλοίο βυθίστηκε μετά από ρυμούλκηση από σκάφος της ελληνικής ακτοφυλακής. Οι ελληνικές αρχές έχουν αρνηθεί αυτούς τους ισχυρισμούς. 40 επιζώντες υπέβαλαν μήνυση τον Σεπτέμβριο, κατά των ελληνικών αρχών, υποστηρίζοντας ότι δεν έλαβαν τα κατάλληλα μέτρα διάσωσης και ρυμούλκησαν το σκάφος, με αποτέλεσμα να ανατραπεί και να βυθιστεί. Οι επιζώντες ζήτησαν άμεση, ενδελεχή και αξιόπιστη έρευνα για το ναυάγιο.

Σε επιστολή του Ιουλίου προς τον πρωθυπουργό, η Επίτροπος του Συμβουλίου της Ευρώπης για τα Ανθρώπινα Δικαιώματα, Ντούνια Μιγιάτοβιτς, επεσήμανε τη νομική υποχρέωση της Ελλάδας να διεξάγει αποτελεσματικές έρευνες για το ναυάγιο της Πύλου για να διαπιστωθούν τα γεγονότα και, όπου ενδείκνυται, να εξασφαλιστεί η τιμωρία των υπευθύνων.

Ως απάντηση στην απόφαση του Λιμενικού Σώματος να παραιτηθεί από εσωτερική πειθαρχική έρευνα για τις ενέργειες του προσωπικού του, κατά το ναυάγιο της Πύλου, το γραφείο του Συνηγόρου του Πολίτη ξεκίνησε ανεξάρτητη έρευνα τον Νοέμβριο, για να εξετάσει τις πράξεις και τις πιθανές παραλείψεις μελών του Λιμενικού Σώματος. Η Επίτροπος Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων Μιγιάτοβιτς επαίνεσε αυτή την ενέργεια και προέτρεψε τις ελληνικές αρχές να παράσχουν πλήρη συνεργασία με την έρευνα του Διαμεσολαβητή.

Η αναφορά τον Μάιο από τους New York Times σχετικά με την απώθηση από τη Λέσβο 12 μεταναστών, συμπεριλαμβανομένων παιδιών και ενός βρέφους, προστέθηκε στα αυξανόμενα στοιχεία για ομαδικές απελάσεις από τις ελληνικές αρχές. Η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή ζήτησε «κατάλληλη συνέχεια» από τις αρχές.

Ο Πρωθυπουργός Κυριάκος Μητσοτάκης χαρακτήρισε τέτοιες πρακτικές «εντελώς απαράδεκτες» και αναφέρθηκε σε χωριστές έρευνες που διεξάγουν οι Έλληνες εισαγγελείς, ο Συνήγορος του Πολίτη και η Εθνική Αρχή Διαφάνειας (ΕΔΑ). Η επιτροπή LIBE του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου, η εξεταστική επιτροπή PEGA και μη κυβερνητικές ομάδες έχουν εκφράσει ανησυχίες σχετικά με την ανεξαρτησία και την αποτελεσματικότητα των αρμόδιων πλέον Αρχών.

Τον Μάιο, οι Γιατροί Χωρίς Σύνορα (ΓΧΣ) κάλεσαν τις ελληνικές αρχές να ερευνήσουν αναφορές για εκατοντάδες αγνοούμενους μετανάστες και ισχυρισμούς για απειλές, απαγωγή και κακομεταχείριση ανθρώπων στη Λέσβο. Σε μια έκθεση του Νοεμβρίου, οι Γιατροί Χωρίς Σύνορα επισήμαναν ένα ανησυχητικό μοτίβο βίας κατά ατόμων που φτάνουν στις ελληνικές ακτές, προσθέτοντας στα ήδη συντριπτικά στοιχεία βίας και απωθήσεων στα ελληνικά σύνορα.

Μια έκθεση του Μαρτίου του Ελληνικού Συμβουλίου Προσφύγων διαπίστωσε ότι οι απωθήσεις αιτούντων άσυλο και μεταναστών στην Τουρκία είναι ευρέως διαδεδομένες και περιλαμβάνουν παράνομη κράτηση, εκφοβισμό, σωματική και σεξουαλική βία και την αυθαίρετη κατάσχεση προσωπικών αντικειμένων. Ο υπουργός Μετανάστευσης της Ελλάδας ανέφερε τον Απρίλιο ότι η ελληνική αστυνομία εμπόδισε 260.000 ανθρώπους να εισέλθουν στα χερσαία σύνορα του Έβρου το 2022.

Τουλάχιστον 20 αιτούντες άσυλο φέρεται να έχασαν τη ζωή τους, μεταξύ των οποίων δύο παιδιά, κατά τη διάρκεια μεγάλων δασικών πυρκαγιών στην περιοχή του Έβρου τον Αύγουστο, υπογραμμίζοντας έναν πρόσθετο κίνδυνο για τους μετακινούμενους που ήδη αντιμετωπίζουν βίαιες απωθήσεις από τις αρχές και επιθέσεις.

Το Γραφείο της Ύπατης Αρμοστείας για τα Ανθρώπινα Δικαιώματα (OHCHR), αφού εξέφρασε ανησυχία για τη συνεχιζόμενη ποινικοποίηση των υπερασπιστών των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων που παρέχουν σωτήρια βοήθεια σε μετανάστες, κάλεσε την Ελλάδα τον Αύγουστο να «διασφαλίσει μια διαφανή και αμερόληπτη έρευνα» για εικαζόμενες παραβιάσεις της μη επαναπροώθησης. και το δικαίωμα στη ζωή που αφορά το ελληνικό προσωπικό επιβολής του νόμου, συμπεριλαμβανομένου του Λιμενικού Σώματος Ελλάδος.

Τον Σεπτέμβριο, ελληνικό δικαστήριο επιδίκασε αποζημίωση 15.920 ευρώ σε Αφγανό αιτούντα άσυλο που φυλακίστηκε άδικα για τρία χρόνια με την κατηγορία της λαθρεμπορίας και της πρόκλησης ναυαγίου. Σύμφωνα με δικηγόρους, η υπόθεση είναι μία από τις χιλιάδες, με άτομα που κατηγορούνται ή καταδικάστηκαν για λαθρεμπόριο να αποτελούν τον δεύτερο μεγαλύτερο πληθυσμό κρατουμένων στην Ελλάδα.

Οι μη κυβερνητικές ομάδες PRO ASYL και Refugee Support Aegean κατήγγειλαν τον Μάιο, τις συνθήκες στα χρηματοδοτούμενα από την Ε.Ε. Κλειστά Κέντρα Ελεγχόμενης Πρόσβασης στα νησιά του Αιγαίου, αποκαλώντας «φυλακές» τις εγκαταστάσεις, καθώς δεν πληρούν τα πρότυπα ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων. Σε έκθεση του Μαΐου, η INTERSOS Hellas, η HIAS και το Ελληνικό Συμβούλιο για τους Πρόσφυγες δημοσίευσαν τα ευρήματά τους ότι οι πρόσφυγες και οι απορριφθέντες αιτούντες άσυλο στην Ελλάδα αντιμετωπίζουν εκτεταμένη επισιτιστική ανασφάλεια, λόγω πολύπλοκων και χρονοβόρων διαδικασιών, σε συνδυασμό με κριτήρια που εισάγουν διακρίσεις, τα οποία στην πράξη τους αποκλείουν από τις περισσότερες κοινωνικές παροχές στην Ελλάδα.

Η ομάδα εργασίας του ΟΗΕ για τη χρήση μισθοφόρων εξέδωσε έκθεση τον Ιούλιο με βάση μια επίσκεψη στην Ελλάδα τον Δεκέμβριο του 2022. Η έκθεση, η οποία εξετάζει τον ρόλο των ιδιωτικών εταιρειών ασφαλείας και του προσωπικού ασφαλείας στο μεταναστευτικό πλαίσιο, ζητά πρόσθετη «κυβέρνηση προσπάθειες για την ενίσχυση των υφιστάμενων μηχανισμών καταγγελιών και τη διασφάλιση της πρόληψης των παραβιάσεων των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων και της προστασίας των ευάλωτων ομάδων».

Τον Ιανουάριο, η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή εξέδωσε επιστολές επί παραβάσει κατά της Ελλάδας, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της αυθαίρετης κράτησης αιτούντων άσυλο κατά τη διάρκεια των διαδικασιών ελέγχου.

Τον Φεβρουάριο, το Συμβούλιο της Επικρατείας υπέβαλε προκαταρκτικές ερωτήσεις στο Δικαστήριο της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης (ΔΕΕ) σχετικά με την ελληνική νομοθεσία που ορίζει την Τουρκία ως ασφαλή τρίτη χώρα για αιτούντες άσυλο από το Αφγανιστάν, τη Συρία, τη Σομαλία, το Πακιστάν και το Μπαγκλαντές.

Ρατσισμός και Μισαλλοδοξία

Τον Απρίλιο, το Δίκτυο Καταγραφής Ρατσιστικής Βίας (RVRN) ανέφερε 74 περιστατικά ρατσιστικής βίας το 2022 και σημείωσε ότι η καταγγελία ρατσιστικής βίας συνεχίστηκε.

Τον Αύγουστο κλιμακώθηκε η ρατσιστική βία στον Έβρο εναντίον αιτούντων άσυλο και μεταναστών, οι οποίοι κατηγορήθηκαν, χωρίς να προσκομίσουν στοιχεία, ότι ευθύνονται για τις δασικές πυρκαγιές. Εμφανίστηκαν πολυάριθμες αναφορές και βίντεο για άγρυπνες «πολιτοφυλακές» που στοχεύουν αιτούντες άσυλο και μετανάστες, καθώς και ένα viral βίντεο που δείχνει έναν άμαχο να κρατά 13 μετανάστες, παρά τη θέλησή τους, στο φορτηγό του, ενώ καλούσε σε πογκρόμ εναντίον τους. Συνελήφθη μαζί με δύο φερόμενους συνεργούς του.

Δικαιώματα γυναικών

Σύμφωνα με έκθεση του Μαρτίου του Μεσογειακού Ινστιτούτου Ερευνητικών Αναφορών, η Ελλάδα κατέγραψε την υψηλότερη ετήσια αύξηση στις αναφερόμενες γυναικοκτονίες μεταξύ 20 ευρωπαϊκών χωρών, κατά τη διάρκεια της πανδημίας, με αύξηση 187,5% σε μόλις ένα χρόνο, από το 2020 έως το 2021.

Το Refugee Support Aegean ανέφερε τον Ιούλιο ότι οι Αφγανές ανύπαντρες μητέρες που ζητούν άσυλο στην Ελλάδα αντιμετωπίζουν προκλήσεις και κινδύνους προστασίας.

Σε μια απόφαση του Απριλίου σχετικά με τις συνθήκες διαβίωσης μιας εγκύου γυναίκας σε κέντρο υποδοχής αιτούντων άσυλο, το Ευρωπαϊκό Δικαστήριο Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων διαπίστωσε ότι η Ελλάδα είχε παραβιάσει την απαγόρευση βασανιστηρίων ή απάνθρωπης ή ταπεινωτικής μεταχείρισης ή τιμωρίας, αναγκάζοντας τη γυναίκα να ζήσει σε συνθήκες που παραβίαζαν τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματά της.

ΕΔΔΑ: Κατάχρηση δικαιώματος η εκτροπή δικαιώματος ελευθερίας έκφρασης για υπεράσπιση ελευθερίας ρατσιστικού λόγου

ΕΔΔΑ: παραβιάζει την 70 ετών σήμερα ΕΣΔΑ γιατί αποτελεί κατάχρηση δικαιώματος η εκτροπή του δικαιώματος της ελευθερίας της έκφρασης από τον πραγματικό σκοπό του όταν γίνεται επίκλησή του για την υπεράσπιση της ελευθερίας άρθρωσης ρατσιστικού λόγου (ισλαμοφοβία, αντισημιτισμός, ομοερωτοφοβία, άρνηση Ολοκαυτώματος, προτροπή σε βία κατά μη Μουσουλμάνων – πηγή η απόφαση στην προσφυγή Αμβρόσιου Λενή κατά Ελλάδας https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/?i=001-226442)

Greece downgraded in Global Ratings Report on Civic Freedoms

16 March, 2023

• Greece has been downgraded from ‘narrowed’ to ‘obstructed’
• Repeated targeting of activists & civil society working on refugee & asylum seeker rights
• Surveillance and attacks on journalists; restrictions on protests

Greece has been downgraded from ‘narrowed’ to ‘obstructed’ in a new report by the CIVICUS Monitor, a global research collaboration that rates and tracks fundamental freedoms in 197 countries and territories. According to the report, People Power Under Attack 2022, the repeated targeting of civil society and activists working with refugees and asylum seekers, disproportionate responses to protests and continuous legal harassment and surveillance of journalists, led to the downgrade.

Historically regarded as the birthplace of democracy, this downgrade means that civic freedoms, including the freedoms of expression, assembly and association, are now being continuously undermined in Greece. Other obstructed countries include Hungary, Poland and Serbia.

From legal harassment to deregistrations, the Greek government continues to target civil society organisations and activists working to advance the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. In December 2022, the government accused activist Panayote Dimitras of “setting up a criminal organisation with the purpose of facilitating the illegal entry and stay in Greece of third-country nationals”, after which the activist was banned from being involved with his organisation, the Greek Helsinki Monitor, and issued with a travel ban.

The Ministry of Migration and Asylum has taken no measures to bring the 2020 law on registration of NGOs working with refugees and migrants in line with international human rights standards. In addition, a 2021 law continues to criminalise rescue operations, particularly sea search and rescue operations, forcing some CSOs to terminate their operations out of fear of being prosecuted.

On 10th January 2023 the trial against activists Sarah Mardini, Seán Binder, Nassos Karakitsos and another 21 aid workers began, after they were part of a search and rescue team on the Greek island of Lesvos in 2018. The 24 co-accused face charges of espionage and forgery, but after the trial began the Greek appeals court annulled the summons for all foreign defendants on the grounds that it had not been translated in a language they could understand, and the charge of espionage for all defendants due to lack of precision. Following this, the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, filed an annulment application against the decision of the Court which annulled the summons. There are further investigations against Mardini and other humanitarian workers underway that may carry a sentence of 20 years.

As the authorities continue to criminalise those showing solidarity with refugee’s and asylum seekers, illegal pushbacks continue.

“Criminalisation of solidarity is a serious concern in Greece and increasingly a concern throughout the EU. EU institutions should make use of all available rule of law mechanism tools to ensure that Greek authorities refrain from targeting civil society and activists working to defend the rights of refugee’s and asylum seekers,” Aarti Narsee, Policy and Advocacy officer, European Civic Forum.

The CIVICUS Monitor and the ECF are also concerned about the ongoing targeting of journalists, including through surveillance, the use of Strategic Litigation against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and the use of restrictive laws to target media freedoms.

Under the pretext of national security, the National Intelligence Service (EYP) has systematically ordered surveillance against investigative journalists, people working with refugees and others increasingly in recent years and especially after a law on the confidentiality of communications was amended in 2021. At least 33 people, including Greek journalist Thanasis Koukakis and several others, including opposition politicians were targeted with illegal spyware Predator on their devices. Investigative journalist Tasos Teloglou who covered the ongoing spyware scandal was placed under surveillance by Greek secret services for “unspecified national security reasons”. The government and most recently the chief prosecutor tried to block efforts to investigate surveillance carried out by the Greek secret services by the Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE), an independent body.

In December 2022, the parliament passed a new controversial regulation which creates a special committee to monitor compliance of online media to journalistic ethics, and gives it power to exclude online media from government financial support and state advertisements, for as long as two years. Press freedom groups have raised concerns that the law may be misused to exclude critical media from receiving state advertising revenue.

Ongoing repressions during protests is also a concern as authorities have repeatedly responded with the use of excessive force and detention of protesters. During December 2022, thousands protested in Athens and Thessaloniki to honor the memory of a teenage student who was shot dead by police in 2008 and following the death of another Roma teenager in December 2022. During protests, police used tear gas, flash grenades, physical violence, and arrested dozens of people. Protests staged by young people against police deployment at universities throughout 2022 have also been met with excessive force. Earlier this month, protests staged by young people and labour groups, following a train crash which killed 57 people, were met with tear gas and stun grenades.

“European institutions should take steps to protect civil society and human rights defenders against the ongoing intimidation, harassment and attacks by developing an EU mechanism platform to allow civil society to regularly report these attacks and negative developments. Such a mechanism should provide direct assistance to defenders at risk and ensure that member states are held accountable ”- Aarti Narsee, Policy and Advocacy officer, European Civic Forum.

Over twenty organisations collaborate on the CIVICUS Monitor, providing evidence and research that help us target countries where civic freedoms are at risk. The Monitor has posted more than 490 civic space updates in the last year, which are analysed in People Power Under Attack 2022.

Civic freedoms in 197 countries and territories are categorised as either closed, repressed, obstructed, narrowed or open, based on a methodology that combines several sources of data on the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression.

Greece is now rated ‘obstructed’ on the CIVICUS Monitor. There are 39 other countries with this rating (see all). Visit Greece’s homepage on the CIVICUS Monitor for more information and check back regularly for the latest updates.

Source

This text in Greek