Police violence on migrants and asylum seekers throughout Greece

Alert DateJune 6, 2007 Country: Greece Address: Alexandras Avenue, Athens General Type: Racist violence Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-migrant/xenophobia, Afrophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Migrants, Asylum seekers Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Policing - law enforcement
Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin Albanian, Iraqi, Moldovan, Senegalese
Victims Gender Female, Male
Victims Age 18-25
Victims Number 4
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin Greek
Perpetrator Gender Male
Perpetrator Age N/A
Perpetrators Number 2
Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

Several incidents were reported, implicating police and municipal police officers exercing unreasonable violence on migrants and asylum seekers in police stations and on the streets.

 

The most important incident concerns the ill-treatment of an immigrant woman from Moldavia at the General Athens Police Directorate (GAPD). The woman was arrested at her home by police officers in civilian clothes an then taken at the GAPD, where she was allegedly beaten, asked to take her clothes off, kicked and threatened in order to obtain information about her partner. A state hospital certified her head injuries and she sued the police officers.

 

Furthermore, a Senegalese petty street seller suffered head injuries when Thessaloniki municipal police officers confiscated his merchandise, despite having no right to use force like regular police officers do. According to media reports, the people who saw the incident tried to defend the street seller accusing the officers of behaving in a discriminatory way towards him due to his African origin. In court the immigrant received a suspended sentence of 13 months for insulting the municipal police officer and for resisting inspection, and he renounced his right to sue the officer for his injury.

 

In Ierissos (Chalkidiki), a young Albanian driver was allegedly stopped for a police identity control. After revealing his nationality the officers allegedly took him to the Ierissos police station and beat him there, while one of the police officers offered to free him upon bribe.

 

Lastly, in the Chania (Crete) Police station an Iraqi asylum seeker was beaten by police officers after insisting to submit an asylum application, as he was advised to do by a competent Athens NGO.

Source:

Eleftherotypia, 13.06.2007, http://archive.enet.gr/online/online_hprint?q=%C1%F3%F4%F5%ED%EF%EC%E9%EA%EF%DF&a=&id=9353780

Τa Νea, 11.10.2007, http://diavatirio.net/diavat/news.php?extend.1511

Ta Nea, 21.05.2007, http://digital.tanea.gr/Default.aspx?d=20070521&nid=4780268

Eleftherotypia 11.6.2007, http://archive.enet.gr/online/online_hprint?q=%E1%F3%F5%EB%EF&a=&id=40166220