HRW joins today 16 press freedom & human rights groups in urging EU Commission President
@vonderleyen
to address the deterioration of media freedom & the rule of law in
#Greece
Will the
@EU_Commission
investigate & hold Greece accountable?
#RuleOfLaw
BREAKING - Leadership of
#Greece
’s neo-Nazi
#GoldenDawn
party will be sent to jail today! The court rejected the prosecutor’s recommendation that their sentences should be suspended pending appeal.
In an increasingly hostile environment for civil society, humanitarians face trial in
#Greece
today for saving lives. The case is riddled w/ procedural flaws that undermine the rights to due process & a fair trial.
#FreeHumanitarians
More by
@hrw
here:
Breaking!
#Moria
, the refugee hotspot on Lesbos island, is on fire while 1000s of women, men and children are trapped inside due to
#Covid
lockdown. Hope everyone will get out safe 🙏
Far right thugs patrol again the area around
#Moria
, blocking the distribution of food and water, and attacking volunteers. A consequence of the inflammatory language the government has been using to blame the migrants for the fire.
Giorgos Roupakias:
- Life imprisonment for the murder of anti-racism activist and rapper Pavlos Fyssas;
- 4 years for use of weapons;
- 4 years for possession of weapons
#GDtrial
This week, 24 humanitarians are being tried in
#Greece
for saving lives, in what many call the largest case of criminalisation of solidarity w/ people on the move in the
#EU
We call on Greek prosecutors to request their acquittal. Saving lives is NOT a crime.
#FreeHumanitarians
Totally unacceptable! Instead of assuming responsibility for the years-long dangerous, unsanitary and degrading living conditions in
#Moria
, govt spokesperson blames migrants for fire, says no one will be transferred to mainland except unaccompanied kids
Good news at last. Greece's Supreme Court prosecutor orders investigation into vigilante violence against migrants, asylum seekers and humanitarian workers on Lesbos and Evros.
Over 500 migrants & asylum seekers are presumed dead after their boat sank off Greece
Neither
@Frontex
nor the
@HCoastGuard
intervened in a safe & timely way, despite the boat being obviously unseaworthy, overcrowded and in distress.
Refugees are being used as pawns and neither Turkey nor Greece is respecting the right to seek asylum. Both should show their humanity and respect for rule of law by ensuring a path to safety for people in danger.
#Greece
's government told more than 11,000 refugees to leave government-provided housing in apartments, hotels, camps. Now dozens of families are sleeping homeless on blankets or pieces of cardboard in stifling heat in Central Athens.
New from
@hrw
The
#EU
’s and Greece’s leadership should publicly and unequivocally condemn vigilante violence taking place on Lesbos. Greek authorities should urgently act to curb the violence, and investigate and prosecute those responsible
@HRW
says
#refugeesgr
#Greece
's government announced it plans to install a floating fence in the Aegean to prevent migrants from reaching its shores. Here's
@hrw
's comment.
After 5 years, a court in Athens will deliver its verdict against
#GoldenDawn
trial suspects, for their role in the murders of Pavlos Fyssas and Shehzad Luqman, and numerous brutal attacks against migrants & refugees.
I'm available for comment.
#GDtrial
#Greece
Greek authorities target NGOs reporting abuses against migrants. The new criminal cases are part of a wider pattern that risk chilling civil society.
Instead of intimidating their critics, Greek authorities shld tackle the abuses they uncover.
More here:
Tomorrow humanitarians
@SarahMardini44
&
@sean_binder_
will face trial in
#Greece
. The case effectively criminalizes life-saving solidarity for ppl on the move & is riddled w/ procedural flaws that undermine the rights to due process & a fair trial
Urgent need of an investigation into arson by vigilantes is needed. The latest wave of violence against asylum seekers and humanitarian workers needs to stop!
The One Happy Family building on
#Lesbos
is burning. It provided valuable assistance to refugees. Sure looks like right-wing extremists are burning down what they dont like. Loss of control.
#Greece
#Lesvos
While everyone else in
#Greece
is free to move around, go to the beach or dine outside, once again, the government extends lockdown for refugee camps.
This is pure discrimination!
@nmitarakis
stop using
#COVID19
to trap people in unsanitary conditions.
Childhood happens ONCE in a lifetime – we need your help to make sure hundreds of unaccompanied migrant kids at risk of
#COVID19
in detention in
#Greece
get theirs. Tell
@PrimeMinisterGR
to
#FreeTheKids
into safe & child-friendly housing today!
This is the sad reality for
#PressFreedom
in Greece. One - foreign - journalist had the courage to ask a tough question to Greece's PM abt
#pushbacks
and instead of investigating the issue, mainstream media are portraying
@IBeugel
as a Turkish agent, promoting Turkish propaganda.
Incredible footage of the Greek PM shouting at a Dutch journalist, after she said he lied over refugee pushbacks.
He's not used to tough questions from the local media. Greece only beats Hungary on press freedom in the EU.
A sad sight for all of us who care about our republic.
In a historic moment for
#Greece
, an Athens court ruled today that the far-right
#GoldenDawn
party was operating as a criminal organization responsible for the death of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas, and numerous brutal attacks against migrants.
Breaking!
#Greece
commits to
#FreeTheKids
& end the long-standing awful practice of detaining unaccompanied children in police station cells.
It warms my heart to think that no more children will have to go through this horrible, traumatizing experience.
As
#France
protests test government’s commitment to rights, authorities need to:
❗️Respect the rights of protesters
❗️Investigate reports of police abuse
❗️Hold officers responsible for abuses to account
More in my
@hrw
piece, here:
#Greece
is right to show solidarity with refugees fleeing
#Ukraine
.
But this moment should also prompt an end to Greece’s violent & abusive border polices that put refugees fleeing similar conflicts in other parts of the world in harm’s way.
#Greece
's law enforcement officers have summarily returned asylum seekers & migrants at the land and sea borders with Turkey during the
#Covid_19
lockdown,
@hrw
finds in a new report released today.
#EU
shld press Athens to halt abuses!
I arrived in Moria this morning. Shocked with how the camp has expanded from last time I was here, just before the summer. Countless tents and a never-ending refugee camp on an island that has turned in an open-air prison.
#Greece
should stop denying refugee children an education.
The government should urgently reform discriminatory policies to ensure that no child will be out of school when the new year begins in September.
New
@hrw
report out today:
Mother of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas after court ruling finds leader and party members guilty of directing and participating in a criminal organization, murdering her son and committing violent attacks against migrants & refugees.
.
@PrimeMinisterGR
: I know you are committed to keeping all kids in
#Greece
healthy & safe through
#COVID19
. Hundreds of migrant kids are still locked up for no reason. You can save their childhoods.
#FreeTheKids
, put them in child-friendly housing now!
Together with 28 other groups,
@hrw
calls in an open letter to Greek MPs for an inquiry into abuses at borders.
Parliament should examine whether border abuses are part of a de facto government policy at odds with international, European, and Greek law.
New
@hrw
report on
#Moria
fires documents how 1000s of ppl are STILL homeless on Lesbos with no access to toilets, showers & limited food, water, health care. Emergency relocation urgently needed to bring Moria homeless to safety.
#OpenTheIslands
Shocking development in
#Greece
with respect to press freedom.
@hrw
had warned of the risk to journalists of the fake news law. The risks have now become a reality.
#Greece
: A 🇫🇷-🇨🇦journalist has been condemned to a 6-month suspended prison sentence for "disseminating false information". Shocked by the verdict in a word-against-word procedure, RSF continues to support
@RomainChvt
, while awaiting the appeal decision.👇
85 NGOs urge
#Greece
and
@EU_Commission
to respect their own laws and respond to situation at borders with humanity and compassion. Asylum is a right, not a luxury.
Childhood happens ONCE in a lifetime – we need your help to make sure hundreds of unaccompanied migrant kids at risk of
#COVID19
in detention in
#Greece
get theirs. Tell
@PrimeMinisterGR
to
#FreeTheKids
into safe & child-friendly housing today!
For 14-year-old Ibrahim from Somalia, detained in
#Greece
for almost 3 months, life has finally taken a positive turn. But for 100s of lone kids still behind bars life is stalled. Tell
@PrimeMinisterGR
to
#FreeTheKids
into safe & child-friendly housing!
A storm just went through the new camp on Lesbos - Moria 2.0 - and this is how conditions look. At the same time,
@nmitarakis
is rushing to shut down PIKPA, a safe haven for
#RefugeesGR
on
#Lesbos
, hosting some of the most vulnerable ppl on the island.
#SavePikpa
#SaveDignity
The prosecution of
@SarahMardini44
,
@sean_binder_
& others has not only had a chilling effect on saving lives, it has also placed the liberty of humanitarians from across the European Union at stake.
.
@Frontex
's internal probe looking into abuses at
#Greece
's borders only exposed tip of the iceberg.
📢 examining a much larger spectrum of reported abuses is needed;
📢Frontex shld reconsider operations when abuses are committed under its oversight.
“Other people here complain about having to wait in line for food. And for me, I can't even access a toilet” Mohammed, 22-year old refugee w physical
#disability
on Lesbos, Greece. On
#WorldRefugeeDay
, let’s not forget refugees with disabilities.
#Moria
camp has been reduced to ashes. This is no surprise when you have
#COVID19
+ 12,000 people locked up in
#Moria
, a place designed for 3,000, under a hard lockdown. Arson or not, this could have been avoided.
#Moria
camp has been reduced to ashes. This is no surprise when you have
#COVID19
+ 12,000 people locked up in
#Moria
, a place designed for 3,000, under a hard lockdown. Arson or not, this could have been avoided.
Human rights defenders in
#Greece
working to protect migrant rights are facing threats & attacks from authorities, according to UN Special Rapporteur on HRDs
@MaryLawlorhrds
📢 Action to protect human rights defenders & journalists is urgently needed
During my recent visit to Lesbos I found that life for asylum seekers & migrants trapped on the Aegean Islands is now getting worse not better. Whoever wins
#Greece
's elections should make tackling the issue a renewed priority
#OpenTheIslands
I met this lovely Syrian family from Deir ez-Zor. Before coming to Greece: they fled the violence in their city in 2016 to Raqqa ➡️ Tabqha ➡️ Afrin ➡️ Idlib where they stayed for more than 2 years. But due to conflict in Idlib last Aug they decided to leave to TK and then GR
New report from
@hrw
out today, documents how
#Greece
uses migrants as police auxiliaries to conduct pushbacks & collective expulsions at the land border w/ Turkey.
People described being stripped, robbed and beaten with no chance to seek asylum.
Back to Lesbos, for the next 7 days to speak with people about the horrifying conditions under which they are living in Moria, the EU-sponsored refugee hotspot. Every time I’m here I’m wondering how much worse it can get for people seeking refuge in Europe.
🛑POSTPONEMENT OF EVICTION OF PIKPA CAMP: The Ministry of Labour communicated to us that for now the eviction of Pikpa is postponed. We are waiting for written confirmation. The struggle is not over but today we are celebrating this small victory! Solidarity will win!!
#savepikpa
After months of denials
#Greece
gov admits it tested soil at Lesbos camp & found some elevated levels of lead, but waited 7 weeks to make it public & has not released actual results & details of testing leaving residents and workers in the dark about risks
After 5 years, a court in Athens will deliver its verdict against
#GoldenDawn
trial suspects, for their role in the murders of Pavlos Fyssas and Shehzad Luqman, and numerous brutal attacks against migrants & refugees.
I'm available for comment.
#GDtrial
#Greece
Childhood happens ONCE in a lifetime – we need your help to make sure hundreds of unaccompanied migrant kids at risk of
#COVID19
in detention in
#Greece
get theirs. Tell
@PrimeMinisterGR
to
#FreeTheKids
into safe & child-friendly housing today!
276 unaccompanied migrant kids are currently detained in dirty, crowded police jails & detention centers in
#Greece
at risk of contracting
#COVID19
. Today,
@hrw
urges
@PrimeministerGR
to protect them by moving them to child-friendly housing.
#FreeTheKids
Childhood happens ONCE in a lifetime – we need your help to make sure hundreds of unaccompanied migrant kids at risk of
#COVID19
in detention in
#Greece
get theirs. Tell
@PrimeMinisterGR
to
#FreeTheKids
into safe & child-friendly housing today!
Imagine fleeing war looking for safety in
#Greece
to find you are housed with unexploded ordinance and small arms munitions; land potentially contaminated by toxic lead that can make you sick. This just happened to 7.5k people on
#Lesbos
@HRW
report:
Last week, the European Court of Human Rights issued a historic ruling concerning
#Greece
’s illegal and life-threatening practice of pushing boats of asylum seekers back to Turkey.
Here’s my analysis on the ruling and what Greece needs to do:
📢New
@hrw
report coming out tomorrow, documenting how
#Greece
police are using people who appear to be of Middle Eastern or South Asian origin, to force migrants onto dinghies, take them to the middle of the Evros River, and force them back to Turkey.
For more info DM me
14-year-old Ibrahim & 17-year-old Kamrul made drawings about the fear they experienced in police detention in
#Greece
, and their hope after being released. Tell
@PrimeMinisterGR
to
#FreeTheKids
who are still behind bars into child-friendly housing today!
Spying on journalists; a new law banning 'fake news' and a bullied Dutch reporter fleeing the country in fear: the state of the rule of law and human rights in
#Greece
are failing.
Strong article on media freedom by
@katymfallon
.
For 5 years now, the
#EUTurkeyDeal
deal has undermined asylum & has trapped 1000s in substandard conditions, leading to unjustified suffering.
The EU should take stock of its failures:
🛑End containment
🙏Treat people with dignity
⚖️Ensure fair asylum
.
@PrimeministerGR
shld act on his pledge to protect
#Greece
's unaccompanied children & make sure that 276 vulnerable kids are freed from dirty, crowded cells, where they are exposed to the risks of Covid-19 infection
#FreeTheKids
4 days before winter & it’s already cold! Asylum seekers trapped on Greece’s islands are warning that “Winter is Coming” Join them and call on
@PrimeministerGR
&
#EU
leaders to
#OpenTheIslands
In one case, a 19-year-old man from Kapisa, in Afghanistan, gave
@hrw
a photo of injuries – red strip-like marks across his back – he said were caused by beatings by people he believed were police officers.
.
@hrw
documented the use of secret detention sites & violent pushbacks across Evros in 2018, and neither
#Greece
nor the
#EU
took any action. With this new damning evidence EU leaders &
@PrimeministerGR
can no longer shield themselves from the truth
.
@nytimes
reveals that
@Frontex
's human rights officer said the agency should stop operating in
#Greece
because of credible reports of authorities:
- violently pushing asylum seekers back to Turkey
- separating migrant children from their parents
Ending child detention in
#Greece
is possible! Authorities should establish suitable short-term alternatives to detention & release the 178 children who are behind bars as soon as possible. Then, they should abolish the law!
#FreeTheKids
.
@hrw
and 11 other partners open campaign today to end containment of asylum seekers and
#opentheislands
They are counting down so that no asylum seekers are left out in the cold by Dec 21-
Anti-Semitism in Europe has become impossible to ignore. Govts should strengthen criminal justice response, address prejudice & speak out against anti-Semitic discourse. Read my new dispatch for more
For 14-year-old Ibrahim from Somalia, detained in
#Greece
for almost 3 months, life has finally taken a positive turn. But for 100s of lone kids still behind bars life is stalled. Tell
@PrimeMinisterGR
to
#FreeTheKids
into safe & child-friendly housing!
Once again, countless tents with refugees sleeping in dire conditions, in and outside Moria. Severe overcrowding, unsafe & unhygienic conditions are the stories we heard today again and again. This needs to stop.
#OpenTheIslands
As
@teammareliberum
has set sail off the coast of Lesbos to monitor human rights at sea, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders
@MaryLawlorhrds
said she will be following the mission closely. Activists in
#Greece
have been facing intimidation & threats by authorities.
In a recent hearing I held with Human Rights Defenders in
#Greece
, 2 representatives from Mare-Liberum participated. They monitor human rights at sea &today their crew is setting sail off the coast of Lesvos. I will be following their mission closely
@teammareliberum
@HcoastGuard
Thousands of people who fled the
#Moriacamp
on
#Lesbos
,
#Greece
, last month are living in dire and unsanitary conditions in a temporary settlement with little access to water or basic sanitation.
276: That's the number of unaccompanied migrant kids behind bars in
#Greece
. That's called protective custody; but kids can never be protected behind bars.
@hrw
calls on
@PrimeMinisterGR
to do the right thing:
#FreeTheKids
!
Last week
#Greece
made it a criminal offense to spread “fake news”.
The criminal sanctions risk making journalists and virtually anyone else afraid to report on or to debate important issues.
The government shld immediately move to revoke the provision
Following the case of rape of Georgia and the way it was handled by
#Greece
’s authorities,
@CentreDiotima
calls on the government to take immediate measures to protect survivors of sexual violence. #με_την_Γεωργια
The tent of this lovely Afghan family was totally burned during last night’s fire at
#Moria
! 1000s trapped on Greece’s islands are at risk. It’s high time
@PrimeministerGR
acts to
#OpenTheIslands
After
#Moria
fires in Sept
#Greek
gov moved 7.5K ppl to camp built on top of firing range. No soil testing was conducted prior to moving ppl there: shocking decision as firing ranges are known as commonly contaminated with lead. Check new
@hrw
's report: