Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category

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Revolt in the detention centre of Fylakio in Evros

On Friday 8th the detainees of Fylakio, near Orestiada, Evros started in the early night hours to protest until the early morning hours. The police reacted with their usual violent repression. Police forces came even from the next town in Didimoticho.

The migrant detainees protested against the extended detention period of 18 months by putting fire on matresses and blocking their cells doors. Eight detainees were arrested. A representative of the police sindicate of Orestiada said: “We demand the symbolic punishment of the arrested so that all detainees stop behaving in this manner.”

indymedia (in greek)

Greece: Commissioner Muiznieks says racist violence is a real threat to democracy

Racist violence a real threat to democracy in Greece

Athens, 01/02/2013. “Impunity for the rising number of racist crimes in Greece has to end. The police, prosecutors and courts need to become fully acquainted with and give effect to existing anti-racism legislation, including the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination by which Greece is bound”, stated Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, at the end of his five-day visit to Greece.
Continue reading ‘Greece: Commissioner Muiznieks says racist violence is a real threat to democracy’

Senegalese street vendor died during police operation in Athens, by demotix

An immigrant from Senegal died falling from a height, on the rails of the subway in Thiseio station in central Athens, during an operation of Municipal Police to remove peddlers from tourist area.

A big operation of Municipal Police started on Friday afternoon on the touristic area of Thiseio, in central Athens, to remove immigrants from the streets, who work as peddlers to live. During this operation Cheikh Babacar Ndiaye a 37 years old immigrant from Senegal, was chased and he died falling from a height, on the rails of the subway in Thiseio station.1359782980-immigrant-dies-during-police-operation-in-athens_1765433 From the blood seen on the pictures possibly his death resulted from the fall.
Subway metro services were disrupted for at least two hours. First aid assistants removed the body of the immigrant from the rails. Meanwhile his friends gathered at the station, together with other people from Senegal.
Some of them mourned, but when they saw the stretcher with the dead body they began to shout and protest. Some of them they shouted that Police is racists. Riot police arrived immediately and attacked the gathered people, and cleared the area around the station. At the same moment of the attack the dead body of immigrant was moved to an ambulance and left the area, for an unknown and undeclared direction, in spite of the questions made ​​on this.

Source with foto reportage: demotix (in english)

Greece: UN experts on arbitrary detention concerned by detention conditions and limited access to legal assistance

ATHENS / GENEVA (31 January 2013) – At the end of its 11-day visit to Greece, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention noted that the time has come for an improvement of conditions of detention and for the effective implementation of recent positive legislative developments, including in the area of migration and asylum.

“In most detention facilities visited by the Working Group, the conditions fall far below international human rights standards, including in terms of severe overcrowding,” stressed Vladimir Tochilovsky, member of the Working Group.

Continue reading ‘Greece: UN experts on arbitrary detention concerned by detention conditions and limited access to legal assistance’

Snapshots of a human tragedy that continues, by Efi Latsoudi

The bodies of 21 migrants were found on a beach on the Aegean island of Lesbos, December 15, 2012, after the sinking of their boat. A young Afghan of 16 years, one of only two survivors indicated that the boat had left the coast of Turkey, had thirty
people aboard, mostly Afghans, when it capsized because of bad weather. Efi Latsoudi, resident and volunteer Mytilene the charity « To Chorio tou Oloi Mazi », which helped the families of the victims in their efforts, discusses the moments of this drama, and the obstacles, and indifferenceof the authorities.
Continue reading ‘Snapshots of a human tragedy that continues, by Efi Latsoudi’

Syrian refugees detained in Petrou Ralli (Athens) and Aspropirgos in hunger strike!

They demand freedom and political asylum. Some of the hunger strikers are more than 15 months in detention!

roz karta (in greek)

Mounting tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean over migration and asylum: a European problem

Strasbourg, 24.01.2013 – Given the mounting tensions over asylum and irregular migration into Greece, Turkey and other Mediterranean countries, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has underlined the need to rethink responsibilities here and deal with what should be recognised as a European problem and not one confined to a single or a few European States.
Greece, the main entry point for irregular migrants into the EU, and Turkey, the main country of transit, which has taken in 150 000 refugees from Syria, will not be able to resolve their difficulties “without greater solidarity and assistance from the EU and other member states of the Council of Europe”, was the view taken by PACE members during a debate held under urgent procedure in Strasbourg today.
Continue reading ‘Mounting tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean over migration and asylum: a European problem’

STATEWATCH: Greece/Italy. Detainees’ rights overrule absconding and rioting charges, courts rule 21.01.2013

by Statewatch

Two recent judgments in Italy and Greece have found detainees innocent of the charges that were brought against them by the local authorities following escape from one migration detention centre and rioting in another. Courts ruled that the actions of detained migrants in opposing their detention conditions were legitimate.
Continue reading ‘STATEWATCH: Greece/Italy. Detainees’ rights overrule absconding and rioting charges, courts rule 21.01.2013′

“Xenios Dias”-sweep continues: New police raid in Athens centre

On Saturday 26th of January 2013, 152 migrants were temporarily arrested in Attica – most of them street vendors whose whares were confiscated.

Until that date police during “Xenios Dias operation” which lasts already since August 4th, 2012:

– temporarily arrested 73.100 migrants
– of whom 4.352 were finally arrested due to lacking residence permits
– 519 homes were searched
and 2.373 women were temporarily arrested for prostitution (migrant and non) of whom it remains unclear how many had to stay in detention and how many were falsely arrested.

i-efimerida (in greek)
preza tv (in greek)

Migrant detainee tries to commit suicide in Drama detention centre

A migrant detainee in Parenesti, Drama tried to commit suicide with a razor in the night of Friday, 25th. The other detainees complained in a heated atmosphere against the detention conditions. Soon police forces were called to “control” the escalating situation.

tvxs (in greek)