ΜΕ ΑΦΟΡΜΗ ΤΗ ΔΗΜΟΣΙΟΠΟΙΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΕΚΘΕΣΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΠΙΤΡΟΠΗΣ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΠΡΟΛΗΨΗ ΤΩΝ ΒΑΣΑΝΙΣΤΗΡΙΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΑΛΛΩΝ ΜΟΡΦΩΝ ΑΠΑΝΘΡΩΠΗΣ Η ΤΑΠΕΙΝΩΤΙΚΗΣ ΜΕΤΑΧΕΙΡΙΣΗΣ Η ΤΙΜΩΡΙΑΣ (ΕΠΒ), ΤΟΥ ΣΥΜΒΟΥΛΙΟΥ ΤΗΣ ΕΥΡΩΠΗΣ

Δημοσιοποιήθηκε σήμερα η έκθεση της Επιτροπής για την Πρόληψη των Βασανιστηρίων και Άλλων Μορφών Απάνθρωπης ή Ταπεινωτικής Μεταχείρισης ή Τιμωρίας (ΕΠΒ), του Συμβουλίου της Ευρώπης. Η Επιτροπή εγείρει σοβαρές ανησυχίες για τη μεταχείριση των προσφύγων και μεταναστών/ριών στην Ελλάδα.

Ο ηγετικός ευρωπαϊκός φορέας κατά των βασανιστηρίων, επισκέφθηκε πρόσφυγες και μετανάστες/ριες σε ελληνικές δομές τον Μάρτιο του 2020. Διαπίστωσε ότι άνθρωποι επαναπροωθούνται βίαια στα σύνορα, και τους αρνούνται το δικαίωμά τους στο άσυλο.

Η Διεθνής Αμνηστία καλωσορίζει τη δημοσίευση αυτής της σημαντικής έκθεσης, από τον ηγετικό φορέα ενάντια στα βασανιστήρια στην Ευρώπη. Πρόκειται για μια δημοσίευση την οποία και εμείς ζητήσαμε συγκεκριμένα, στο υπόμνημά μας προς την Επιτροπή Υπουργών του Συμβουλίου της Ευρώπης, ενόψη της επισκόπησής της σχετικά με την κρίση του Ευρωπαϊκού Δικαστηρίου Δικαιωμάτων του Ανθρώπου, στην υπόθεση M.S.S. εναντίον Ελλάδας.

Τα ευρήματα της έκθεσης είναι επιβαρυντικά και συνάδουν με τις εκθέσεις των Μη Κυβερνητικών Οργανώσεων. Η ΕΠΒ διαπίστωσε ότι, σε ορισμένες εγκαταστάσεις, η μεταχείριση των μεταναστών/ριών ισοδυναμούσε με απάνθρωπη και εξευτελιστική μεταχείριση. Η ΕΠΒ αναφέρεται στην ακρόαση «συνεπών και αξιόπιστων ισχυρισμών» για άτομα που επαναπροωθούνται σε χερσαία σύνορα.

Η Επιτροπή έλαβε επίσης «έναν αριθμό συνεπών και αξιόπιστων ισχυρισμών σχετικά με πράξεις της Ελληνικής Ακτοφυλακής, ώστε να εμποδίσει τα πλοία που μεταφέρουν μετανάστες/ριες να φτάσουν σε οποιοδήποτε ελληνικό νησί», και σημειώνει ότι μετά την επίσκεψή της ανέκυψαν ακόμα περισσότεροι τέτοιοι ισχυρισμοί.

Η έκθεση διαπιστώνει ότι οι συνθήκες σε λιμενική αστυνομική εγκατάσταση στη Σάμο, όπου 93 άτομα (20 παιδιά) κρατούνταν σε δυο κελιά τη στιγμή της επίσκεψής της, «σαφώς» ισοδυναμούσαν με απάνθρωπη και εξευτελιστική μεταχείριση. Η ΕΠΒ συνιστά επίσης να κλείσει ή να ανακαινιστεί πλήρως το προαναχωρησιακό κέντρο στο Φυλάκιο Έβρου.

Η Σάμος είναι μόλις ένα από τα μέρη όπου οι άνθρωποι κρατούνταν αυθαίρετα τις εβδομάδες μετά την αναστολή των διαδικασιών ασύλου τον Μάρτιο. Στη σχετική έκθεση της Διεθνούς Αμνηστίας, τεκμηριώναμε την κράτηση εκατοντάδων ανθρώπων σε ακατάλληλες συνθήκες σε διάφορες περιοχές της Λέρου, της Κω, της Χίου και της Λέσβου.

Η ΕΠΒ καταγγέλλει την αποτυχία της αστυνομίας να τηρήσει αποτελεσματικά ένα αρχείο των ατόμων που κρατούνται στον Πόρο, μια περιοχή που επανέρχεται διαρκώς σε αναφορές για επαναπροωθήσεις, από το ερευνητικό κέντρο Forensic Architecture και την εφημερίδα The New York Times. Η εξήγηση της ελληνικής αστυνομίας ότι οι προσωπικές φόρμες «πετάχθηκαν», απορρίφθηκαν από την ΕΠΒ, και είναι εξίσου ανησυχητικές:

Η ΕΠΒ καλεί όλα τα αστυνομικά τμήματα να διατηρούν ένα «εξατομικευμένο αρχείο κράτησης», καταγράφοντας όλες τις πληροφορίες συμπεριλαμβανομένης των «σημαδιών οποιουδήποτε τραυματισμού… επαφών με ή/και επισκέψεων από συγγενείς, δικηγόρους ..». Θεωρούμε ότι τέτοιες καταγραφές θα αποτελούσαν ζωτική εγγύηση ενάντια στην αυθαιρεσία και τις επαναπροωθήσεις.

Λυπούμαστε, αλλά δεν εκπλησσόμαστε, για την υπόθεση των δύο αδελφών που διαχωρίστηκαν από τα μέλη της οικογένειάς τους, τα οποία επαναπροωθήθηκαν. Άλλοι/ες παραμένουν σε μια γκρίζα ζώνη. Μια μητέρα από τη Συρία που προσπάθησε να διασχίσει τον Έβρο τον Φεβρουάριο, εξακολουθεί να είναι εξαφανισμένη και θεωρείται νεκρή.

Η Διεθνής Αμνηστία καλωσορίζει τα ευρήματα της ΕΠΒ που δείχνουν ότι τα αποδεικτικά στοιχεία για τις επαναπροωθήσεις στον Έβρο είναι «αξιόπιστα». Επαναλαμβάνουμε και εμείς την έκκληση της ΕΠΒ για την Ελλάδα, να διασφαλίσει ότι θα τερματιστούν οι επαναπροωθήσεις και «τυχόν αξιωματικοί… που λειτουργούν εκτός των επίσημων δομών διοίκησης θα λογοδοτούν και θα τιμωρούνται ανάλογα»

Οι επαναπροωθήσεις, η βία και η αποτυχία καταγραφής, όπως υποστηρίζονται από τα ευρήματα της ΕΠΒ, είναι πρακτικές που θα έπρεπε να είχαν εντοπιστεί από τον Οργανισμό στις επιχειρήσεις του στην Ελλάδα. Καθώς η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή οδεύει σε περισσότερες συνομιλίες με την FRONTEX, οι συζητήσεις οφείλουν να μην αφορούν μόνο τις επαναπροωθήσεις στη θάλασσα.

Τα ευρήματα της ΕΠΒ επιβεβαιώνουν περαιτέρω τις μακροχρόνιες ανησυχίες που έχουν εκφράσει η Διεθνής Αμνηστία και πολλές άλλες οργανώσεις σχετικά με τις παραβιάσεις των δικαιωμάτων των προσφύγων και των μεταναστών/ριών στα σύνορα της Ελλάδας. Η Ελλάδα πρέπει επιτέλους να αναγνωρίσει και να τερματίσει αυτές τις πρακτικές, και να αποκαταστήσει τη συμμόρφωσή της με τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα.

19/11/2020

https://www.amnesty.gr/news/articles/article/23882/me-aformi-ti-dimosiopoiisi-tis-ekthesis-tis-epitropis-gia-tin-prolipsi

[EN] COUNCIL OF EUROPE'S ANTI-TORTURE COMMITTEE CALLS ON GREECE TO REFORM ITS IMMIGRATION DETENTION SYSTEM AND STOP PUSHBACKS

European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT)

In a report published today on a rapid reaction ad hoc visit to Greece in March 2020, the Council of Europe's anti-torture committee (CPT) once again urges the Greek authorities to change their approach towards immigration detention and to ensure that migrants deprived of their liberty are treated both with dignity and humanity.

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The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published today the report on its ad hoc visit to Greece, which took place from 13 to 17 March 2020, together with the response of the Greek authorities.

In the report, the CPT acknowledges the significant challenges faced by the Greek authorities in dealing with large numbers of migrants entering the country and that it requires a coordinated European approach. However, this cannot absolve the Greek State from their human rights obligations and the duty of care owed to all migrants that the Greek authorities detain.

The CPT found that the conditions of detention in which migrants were held in certain facilities in the Evros region and on the island of Samos could amount to inhuman and degrading treatment. The report again underlines the structural deficiencies in Greece’s immigration detention policy. Migrants continue to be held in detention centres composed of large barred cells crammed with beds, with poor lighting and ventilation, dilapidated and broken toilets and washrooms, insufficient personal hygiene products and cleaning materials, inadequate food and no access to outdoor daily exercise. The situation was further aggravated by extreme overcrowding in several of the facilities. In addition, migrants were not provided with clear information about their situation.

The CPT once again found that families with children, unaccompanied and separated children and other vulnerable persons (with a physical or mental health illness, or pregnant women) were being detained in such appalling conditions with no appropriate support. The CPT calls upon the Greek authorities to end the detention of unaccompanied children and of children with their parents in police establishments. Instead, they should be transferred to suitable reception facilities catering to their specific needs.

The report also highlights that the CPT again received consistent and credible allegations of migrants being pushed back across the Evros River border to Turkey. The Greek authorities should act to prevent such pushbacks. The CPT also raises concerns over acts by the Greek Coast Guard to prevent boats carrying migrants from reaching any Greek island and it questions the role and engagement of FRONTEX in such operations.

The CPT also calls upon the Greek authorities to take vigorous steps to stamp out ill-treatment of detained migrants by the police. The report refers to a number of allegations by migrants that they had been ill-treated by members of the Hellenic Police and/or Coast Guard either upon apprehension or after being brought to a place of detention. The ill-treatment alleged consisted primarily of slaps to the head and kicks and truncheon blows to the body.

In their response, the Hellenic Police provide information on the steps being taken to improve the conditions of detention for detained migrants. They also state that the alleged practice of pushbacks to the border is unsubstantiated and completely wrong. As regards unaccompanied minors, reference is made inter alia to a new strategy to end their detention and to their transfer from reception centres on the islands to safe accommodation facilities on the mainland.

• Read the report
• Read the response
• The CPT and Greece

19/11/2020

https://www.coe.int/en/web/cpt/-/council-of-europe-s-anti-torture-committee-calls-on-greece-to-reform-its-immigration-detention-system-and-stop-pushbacks

[EN] INTERNATIONAL COMPLAINT AGAINST GREECE’S VIOLENT PUSHBACKS AT THE EVROS BORDER

HumanRights360

INTERNATIONAL COMPLAINT AGAINST GREECE’S VIOLENT PUSHBACKS AT THE EVROS BORDER

Today, 17 Tuesday 2020, GLAN and HumanRights360 filed a complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee on behalf of Fady, a recognised refugee in the EU, who was subject to an enforced disappearance and repeated summary expulsions by Greek authorities between November 2016 and November 2017. Fady was stripped of his possessions, his document attesting to his residency status in the EU and placed outside the protection of the law. He was placed in a state of precarity and rightlessness for three years until his documents were reissued and he was finally able to return to his home in Germany in November 2019.

Fady, 25, arrived in Germany in 2015 from Deir az-Zour, Syria. In November 2016 he traveled to Greece with a German residence permit, which Germany issued to recognise his protected refugee status. He arrived to try to find his then 11-year-old brother, who was unaccompanied had gone missing while crossing the Evros border, en route to reuniting with Fady and claiming asylum. On 30 November 2016, while looking for his brother at a Greek bus station, Fady was racially profiled and arrested by the Greek police who confiscated his German documentation. Greek authorities arbitrarily detained him incommunicado, without access to legal representation, and proceeded to violently and summarily expel him, in a group of 50 others, to Turkey. This initial expulsion to Turkey was reconstructed in the form of a ‘situated testimony’ by the UK-based investigative group Forensic Architecture.

Stranded in Turkey without his documentation, Fady reattempted entry into Greece 14 times over the course of the following year, and was subjected to further summary expulsions by Greek authorities, which maintained his exclusion from protection by the law. In December 2017, he finally made it back into Greece without being pushed back. But he was stranded — undocumented, homeless, and with severe impacts on his health — for a further two years his German travel document was reissued on 30 October 2019. Following his initial expulsion, the claimant spent three years living in precarity and destitution, experiencing life-threatening physical and mental health consequences of his pushbacks, including the onset of cardiac distress that required emergency hospitalization and heart surgery. He continues to live with toxic stress and anxiety about the fate of his child brother who would now be 15, and remains missing.

The complaint argues that Greece’s unlawful deprivation of Fady’s liberty amounts to an enforced disappearance under international law. And it results in further serious violations of basic rights, notably the right to life, the right to liberty, the prohibition against torture, and the right to due process and remedy, as enshrined in the ICCPR.

The repeated pushbacks the claimant was subject to are part of a clandestine systematic practice of summary expulsions by Greek authorities, as well as private actors under their direction. In this practice, which has intensified since the violent events at the Evros border in March 2020, refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants are arrested and detained, often following their racial-profiling and discrimination. They are characteristically treated in an inhuman and degrading manner (including through beatings and the seizure of their paperwork and belongings), denied access to procedural remedies, and ultimately violently and summarily expelled (pushed back) across the Evros border. This practice has been extensively and repeatedly condemned by the UN and European bodies and international civil society for the long-lasting harms it continues to inflict on thousands of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants, depriving them of the right to access asylum and exposing them to ‘chain refoulement’ by Turkey.

“Fady’s case is an emblematic and aggravated example of Greece’s clandestine deportation apparatus. Even his EU asylum status, which Germany had granted him, couldn’t protect him. He is then forced to endure repeated instances of border violence until he can recover his documents and return home years later. This approach to migration governance is inhuman and manifestly unlawful,” said Amanda Brown, Legal Researcher with GLAN and lead author of the communication.

Throughout these years, having been rendered undocumented by the Greek police, Fady was barred from seeking protection from the Greek authorities, either to find out about the whereabouts and fate of his brother, or to challenge his illegal deprivation of liberty, expulsions, and stripping of his documentation resulting in his exclusion from protection by the law. Greece’s unofficial systemic practice of summary expulsions (pushbacks) has not been subject to any investigation or review in Greece. Greek authorities have perpetrated such illegal acts without an institutional trail and have actively concealed their perpetration through the unwillingness of relevant authorities to investigate them.

“This state-sanctioned policy of summary expulsion and enforced disappearance along the Evros border is of course an abuse of power by the Greek state. Yet Greek authorities have not only systemically perpetrated such illegal acts without an institutional trail, but are actively concealing evidence of the abuses and denying the claimant and countless others access to justice,” said Valentina Azarova, Legal Advisor with GLAN.

“Over the past years, instances of illegal expulsions have been escalated. The Greek authorities have failed to investigate the cases, prosecute and convict perpetrators with the use of available legal tools, enabling a culture of impunity and disregard for the rule of law. Fady’s case incorporates these elements and call for justice for the manifestly unlawful arbitrary detention and expulsion at the borders as an abuse of power by the Greek State and the all risks he faced living as undocumented in Greece,” said Maria Paraskeva, Legal Expert with HumanRights360.

“Fadi’s story should concern us all. While searching for his 11 year brother he was effectively stripped of all rights and legal protections, repeatedly assaulted and disposed of. His enforced disappearance demonstrates Greece’s complete disregard for the rule of law, and we are confident that the UN Human Rights Committee will take this complaint seriously” said GLAN’s Director Dr Gearóid Ó Cuinn.

Contacts:
For further information or to arrange interviews, contact +447521203427 or

Amanda Brown, GLAN: amanda.danson.brown@gmail.com
Dr Valentina Azarova, GLAN: vazarova@glanlaw.org
Dr Itamar Mann, GLAN: itamar.mann@gmail.com
Maria Paraskeva, Legal Expert HumaRights360.org : maria.paraskeva@humanrights360.org

Communication to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in the case of Faj against Greece.pd

17/11/2020

https://www.humanrights360.org/el/international-complaint-against-greece-s-violent-pushbacks-at-the-evros-border/

[EN] DEFENDING HUMAN RIGHTS IN TIMES OF BORDER MILITARIZATION

HumanRights360

Download the pdf version of the report here

Contents

Introduction

1. Crossing Evros Borders.
2. The generalized practice of judicial authorities to convict newcomers with the offense of illegal entry.
3. The militarization of the Borders
4. Monitoring, advocating, and pursuing strategic litigation on the illegal practices at the land border of Evros.
5. Reception and Identification Center’s (RIC) of Fylakio, Orestiada operation is challenged by the strict measures taken by the government against COVID-19
   1. Specific Considerations
   2. Developments on the field of transfers to shelters
6. Evros Region as European Border
   1. The geopolitical significance of Evros
   2. Frontex implementation
   3. The new EU pact on the European Common Asylum System
7. An alarming increase in racist speech and acts of racist violence
8. An eye to the Future: a constant need for vigorous and collective advocacy of Human Rights

23/10/2020

https://www.humanrights360.org/defending-human-rights-in-times-of-border-militarization/