Repeated violence against migrants and persons on their defense by police officers in public spaces

Alert DateOctober 23, 2009 Country: Greece Address: Athens centre General Type: Racist violence Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-migrant/xenophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Migrants, Majority Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Policing - law enforcement
Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin Afghan, Armenian, Greek, Senegalese
Victims Gender Female, Male
Victims Age 18-25, 26-35, 36-45
Victims Number 8
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin Greek
Perpetrator Gender Male
Perpetrator Age N/A
Perpetrators Number N/A
Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

Beatings of migrants by police officers are reported on a weekly basis. In one of those incidents, in the center of Athens, a RAXEN NFP researcher witnessed a migrant being beaten by the police officers. When he intervened in defense of a migrant,t by requesting from the officers to stop their unneeded post-arrest aggression, he himself suffered arrest and humiliation by the police officers and the judge. The RED Network and RAXEN National Focal Points from 26 EU countries protested against police racist violence and emphasized the dramatically increasing trend escalated by the racist violence of ultra-right-wing organized groups, which operate undisturbed or even supported, like fascist-type civic militia in central Athens neighborhoods.

Issuing a joint Public Statement the RED Network demanded the full disciplinary investigation of the case and urged the newly elected Greek government to eradicate racist behaviours against those who are more insecure and vulnerable, because of their residence status, of their belonging to a social minority, of poverty, of class and/or social position. 

 

Source:

i-RED, 23.10.2009, PUBLIC STATEMENT 23

Eleftherotypia, 26.10.2009, http://www.enet.gr/?i=news.el.article&id=95647

TVXS, 06.11.2009, http://www.tvxs.gr/v25417

TVXS, 23.11.2009, http://tvxs.gr/node/42753

Eleftherotypia, 04.01.2010, http://www.enet.gr/?i=news.el.article&id=117516