Screening of the documentary ‘Captain Thomas Sankara’, Wednesday 10 December

The Group of Lawyers for the rights of Migrants and Refugees 

invites you to the screening 

of the award-winning documentary film ‘Captain Thomas Sankara’ 

made by Swiss filmmaker Christophe Cupelin.

The screening will take place 

on Wednesday 10/12/2014 at 8:30pm. 

at“ Ktirio 11” is 11 ,Rethymnou and Ioulianou str.

(opposite ‘Radisson Blu Park Hotel’ in Athens)

The documentary will be shown in French language with English subtitles.

Case of torture by Coast Guards off Chios in 2007: Appeal Court on 6-11-2014 ‏

Οn 6 November 2014 the Supreme Military Court of Athens (Petrou Ralli str. 1, at 9:00 am) is going to examine the appeal by the two coast guards found guilty at first instance for having committed acts of torture against an asylum seeker, including restricting the victim’s breathing so as to simulate drowning and suffocation (‘wet and dry submarine’), carrying out mock execution, as well as other serious attacks on human dignity, immediately after the victim’s entry into Greece and during his transfer with other asylum-seekers to the Port of Chios. The above-mentioned incident was first documented in the report entitled “The truth may be bitter but it must be told – The Situation of Refugees in the Aegean and the Practices of the Greek Coast Guard” by the Group of Lawyers for the Rights of Refugees and Migrants and the NGO Pro-Asyl, which was published in 2007 and had attracted extensive publicity.

Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on Greece

Strasbourg, 16.10.2014 – 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 eleventh visit to Greece, which took place in April 2013, together with the response of the Greek authorities.

The visit took place two years after the CPT had issued a public statement in which it had expressed serious concerns regarding the lack of effective action to tackle systemic deficiencies concerning the conditions of detention of irregular migrants and the situation in the prisons. Regrettably, the findings of the 2013 visit demonstrate clearly that the situation has not improved. Further, the problem of ill-treatment by the police appears to be growing and there is little evidence that allegations of ill-treatment are investigated promptly and thoroughly, leading to some police officers believing they can act with impunity.

Change of date for the provision of legal counseling by the Group of Lawyers

ANNOUNCEMENT 

The Group of Lawyers for the Rights of Migrants and Refugees 

will provide from now on

free legal counseling to migrants and refugees 

EVERY WEDNESDAY FROM 6 p.m to 8 p.m 

at Ktirio 11, Rethymnou 11 and Ioulianou Street.

Email: omadadikigorwn@lists.riseup.net

More information: http://omadadikigorwn.blogspot.gr/

Briefing on Farmakonisi Boat Wreck

GREEK COUNCIL FOR REFUGEES
HELLENIC LEAGUE OF HUMAN RIGHTS
NETWORK OF SOCIAL SUPPORT TO REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS
GROUP OF LAWYERS FOR THE RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES

BACKGROUND BRIEFING ON THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE FARMAKONISI BOAT WRECK OF 20.1.2014

Athens, 31 July 2014

Background

During the early hours of 20.1.2014, off the coast of Farmakonisi island, within Greek waters and close to the border line, a small boat capsized, which carried 27 refugees from Afghanistan and Syria, including 4 women and 9 children. The boat capsized and sank, while it was towed by a vessel of the Greek Coast Guard. The sinking resulted in the death of 11 persons (3 women and 8 children). The corpses of one woman and two children were found at sea and the rest of them in the cabin of the vessel, when it was lifted one month after its sinking.

During their immediate contact with the representatives of the UNHCR, which took place the following day on the island of Leros, the 16 refugees who survived reported that their boat had approached the Greek coastline when it came across the Coast Guard and that the towing of the boat by the coast guard was conducted towards Turkey, in two stages at high speeds and resulting in water entering the boat. They also reported that the rope which kept the boat connected with the Coast Guard vessel was cut by the Coast Guard officers, which resulted in the boat being capsized and in the death of 11 women and children and that the necessary rescue actions were not taken. They also complained about further acts of mistreatment against them after they reached the island of Farmakonisi.

The Coast Guard officers, on the contrary, have denied the complaints.

The Prosecutor of the Marine Court has ordered a preliminary investigation on this case, which has been extensively covered by the Press attracting international interest and has been dealt with by the Greek and the European Parliament. Our organisations have closely followed the case, supporting the victims in exercizing their rights.

Archiving of the penal file
After a preliminary investigation led by the Prosecutor of Piraeus' Marine Court, the case was considered to be “manifestly ill-founded in substance” with regard to Articles 306 (exposure to risk), Article 277 (causing a shipwreck), Article 278 (causing a shipwreck by negligence) and Article 308 (bodily harm) of the Penal Code and the file was archived.

This meant that the investigation into the responsibility of the Greek coast guard for causing the boat to sink as well as for inflicting ill-treatment against the victims - as they had been accused of by the survivors - was stopped.

The decision to end the investigation was approved by the Prosecutor of the Military Court of Review, who has under the law the power to order a criminal prosecution.

The decision of Piraeus' Marine Court to close and archive the case and turn a blind eye to the accusations raised by the victims as well as their detailed testimonies concerning the facts of the case, undermines the right to judicial protection and overrides fundamental rights and guarantees that aim at protecting the victim in penal procedures.

Invitation to Press Conference on Farmakonisi shipwreck- Thursday 31 July at 12:00 hrs

Dear all,

the Greek Council for Refugee, the Hellenic League for Human Rights, the Network of Social Support to Refugees and Migrants  - DIKTYO and the Group of Lawyers for the Rights of Migrants and Refugees cordially invite you to attend their Press Conference on Thursday, 31 July 2014, at 12:00pm, in the Venue Room of the Athens Bar Association at Akadimias Str. No 60.

The Press Conference concerns the unprecedented decision of the Prosecutor of Piraeus' Marine Court to archive the case and essentially close the judicial investigation into the responsibility of the Coast Guard staff for the tragic boat wreck near Farmakonisi island on 20 January 2014, during which 8 children and 3 women – all refugees from Afghanistan – drowned after being intercepted by the Greek Coast Guard.

The decision of Piraeus' Marine Court Prosecutor has been approved by the Prosecutor of the Military Court of Review.

Global Detention Project: Greek detention profile

 Introduction

Greece has been ground zero in Europe’s efforts to halt irregular migration for several years. At the same time, the country’s economic crisis has exasperated social divisions leading to increasing violence and hostility directed at foreigners.

With massive financial and operational assistance provided by the European Union, Greece has confronted migratory pressures by emphasizing interdiction, detention, and removal. A 2013 Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) report summarized: “Greece has focused on reinforcing its external borders and started a policy which relies too heavily on detention. Despite the Greek authorities’ determination to improve the asylum system and detention conditions, which in many instances remain deplorable, much still needs to be done” (PACE 2013).

Call for the immediate withdrawal of an unacceptable amendment. The protection of racist violence victims must be ensured

Athens, 26 March 2013. 35 organizations constituting the Racist Violence Recording Network are expressing their unequivocal opposition to the promoted amendment to Article 19 of the Immigration Code, which, if adopted, shall be a shield of protection for all perjuring government officials who are involved in incidents of racist violence and shall virtually set aside any possibility of protection for the victims.