Tag Archive for 'greece'

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European Court finds a Turkish migrant was tortured by one of the Greek coastguard officers supervising him

Published on January 18, 2012 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , .

In the Chamber judgment of January 17, 2012, in the case Zontul v. Greece, the European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been a violation of Article 3 (prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The applicant, Necati Zontul, is a Turkish national who was born in 1968 and lives in London (United Kingdom).
On 27 May 2001 he and 164 other migrants boarded a boat in Istanbul which was bound for Italy. On 30 May the vessel was intercepted by Greek coastguards and escorted to the port of Chania (Crete). The migrants were placed in a disused merchant navy training school. According to Mr Zontul, the conditions of detention there were poor and several detainees were deliberately attacked by guards. He alleged that, between 1 and 6 June 2001, several detainees had been taken into a room from which they had emerged with injuries and, in some cases, unable to walk. There had also been reports of mock executions and Russian roulette.

On 5 June 2001 Mr Zontul reported that two coastguard officers had forced him to undress while he was in the bathroom. One of them had threatened him with a truncheon and had then raped him with it. One of the applicant’s fellow detainees had helped him back to the dormitory after the officers had left. In protest at that incident, the detainees had decided to go on hunger strike the following morning. Some of the coastguard officers had then burst into the dining room and gathered the detainees together, before beating them with truncheons and splashing them with water and a product resembling eau de cologne. One of the detainees had been made to “jump like a rabbit”.

The Court reiterated that the rape of a detainee by an official of the State was to be considered as an especially grave and abhorrent form of ill-treatment.

Under Article 41 (just satisfaction) of the Convention, the European Court held that Greece was to pay the applicant 50,000 euros (EUR) in respect of non-pecuniary damage and EUR 3,500 in respect of costs and expenses.

see: clandestina

LOST AT BORDER – A journey to the lost and the dead of the Greek borders

Published on January 16, 2012 in Syndicated and Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , .

New report of Infomobile Greece, published in January 2012

LOST AT BORDER reports on the reality of loss and death at the Greek borders. As a close friend of ours said once: “If you are a refugee and you die nobody asks any questions. But for living somewhere, everybody is questioning you!” We want to break the silence and ask: What happened with all these people whose traces got lost?
Accidents and death at border belong unfortunately to the daily experiences of refugees trying to reach a safe haven. The European Border Control Agency FRONTEX in co-operation with national authorities are heightening and thickening the fences and walls around us, controlling and patrolling the borders and externalizing them to European neighbour states such as Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia a.o. They have created treaties of co-operation in deportations and huge refugee detention camps at the gates of Europe. Trying to cross a number of borders, among them the ones of Fortress Europe is a huge risk of death! The numbers are shocking: more than 2.000 people died in the Mediterranean Sea only in 2011. Each single person left behind a big gap in the life of relatives and friends.

LOST AT BORDER gives the voice mainly to refugees searching and mourning for their beloved. The report was made by a group of antiracist activists from different countries who have been already involved in the search of migrants who got lost at the border between Greece and Turkey. It can be quite difficult to find information on what has happened when somebody is missing at the border. Apart from the report we want to help and fill this information gap by a new Blog. We want to connect the relatives and friends of border victims to each other and we want to let you know and feel that you are not alone on this journey! We will never forget. We promise to overcome the murderous border regime and to continue our struggle for a welcoming Europe.
download lostatborder report
LOST AT BORDER – Blog
Report and Blog have been published by Infomobile

6 immigrants missing in Evros

Published on January 12, 2012 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , .

In 2011 58 persons lost their life on the Greek-Turkish border along the river Evros/Maritsa.

This year starts again with disappearances and loss at border.

Two plastic boats, loaded with sans-papiers immigrants trying to cross Evros river, capsized early today morning. Up to now, rescue teams have discovered 6 immigrants. The rescued immigrants are two Afghans from the one boat (on which 4 more were aboard) and 4 nationals of Bangladesh who, along with two other compatriots tried to cross the river Evros, but without success, as their boat also overturned.

Investigations are continuing to find and rescue the missing immigrants (4 Afghans and 2 Bangladeshi), while the survivors were
transferred first aid to the Health Center for Orestiada.

http://clandestinenglish.wordpress.com/

Kurdish documentary producer 5th month in detention in Evros and 26th day on hunger strike!

Published on January 9, 2012 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , .

A kurdish filmmaker from Iran is now the 5th month imprisoned in Evros – currently in Soufli. He has applied for asylum in Greece. With his hunger strike he is protesting against the inhuman detention conditions and he demands his freedom.

Another deportation of 29 migrants from Athens airport today

Published on January 5, 2012 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , .

23 from Bangladesh
1 from Egypt
4 from Pakistan
1 from Uganda

tvxs

Police raid in the old redundant textile factory of Peiraiki Patraiki

Published on January 5, 2012 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , .


On January 5, 2012 in the early morning hours the police raided the old redundant textile factory of Peiraiki Patraiki where a group of sans-papiers has found a provisory refuge. 40-50 persons were arrested, clothes and other personal belongings were burned and Red Cards (temporary residence permits for asylum seekers) torn apart.

Indymedia Athens

Letter of the migrants and refugees in Patras

Published on January 3, 2012 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , .


This letter was written and distributed on January 2, 2012 after another beating of refugees had occurred in Patras by the coast guard. The same day a young Afghan refugee died of suffocation in Patras while he was trying to resist the cold weather with his friends inside a truck were they lit a small fire. His two friends survived and are currently hospitalised.

In the name of god,

Since we were small kids in our home countries there was trouble, but we didn’t understand what this trouble was. Later we grew up and we understood that this trouble is war. The seasons were changing and every day became more difficult. On this way we reached today.

Since then and until today we are thinking about our future and what our destiny will be. When we were in our countries they were telling us lies. They told us in Europe we would find democracy and we would get human rights. But it is different here. To build up our lives we have to cross the borders. In Greece this is very difficult.

Continue reading ‘Letter of the migrants and refugees in Patras’

Afghan refugee died today in Patras

Published on January 3, 2012 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , .

Τhree Afghani youngsters (between 15-20 years old), who had recently arrived in the port city of Patras, were temporarily sleeping in the cabin of an abandoned truck in the old redundant textile factory of Peiraiki Patraiki. In order to keep warm yesterday during the cold night (Monday, January 2), they lit a fire in a small vessel. There was no window or opening in the room, doors were shut, and the lack of oxygen caused the suffocation to death of one of the boys. The other two were taken to hospital and are in a critical condition.

see clandestina
read the news in greek
indymedia athens (in greek)

fotos of the truck where the three boys were trying to warm up due to the very cold weather:

all fotos from indymedia athens

No Shelter, No Protection: Afghan Asylum Seekers Struggle to Survive in Greece

Published on January 2, 2012 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , .

I URGENTLY PRESENT THIS PLEA OF HOPE FOR THESE REFUGEES IN ATHENS. ALL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS, PLEASE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THIS CRISIS!
Friday 30 December 2011, article by Basir Ahang in Kabulpress

Afghan refugees in Athens


Within the sprawling city of Athens, Greece, Victoria Park resembles a war front camp. Close to a thousand Afghan asylum seekers, many are children, now call this park home. Hoping to put the struggles of a war torn homeland behind them, they left Afghanistan to find security. Sadly, the hunger, homelessness, cruelty and desperation has followed them on their path.
Continue reading ‘No Shelter, No Protection: Afghan Asylum Seekers Struggle to Survive in Greece’

Another Afghan refugee became a victim of racist violence in Athens on December 27, 2011

Published on December 29, 2011 in Uncategorized. Closed Tags: , , , , .

The victim of the racist attack of December 27 had to be hospitalised

As the Afghan Committee of Greece announced:

Another Afghan compatriot of ours became a victim of a racist attack.
The attack happened on December 27, 2011 in the night in the area of St. Panteleimon Church and by a group of six. They attacked two Afghans who just happened to pass by. They started beating them with bottles. One of the Afghans could escape, the other not. When the one who could escape returned to look after his friend he found him lying on the street with blood running from his head and filling all the place around him. After a little while the victim was transferred to the hospital.
Within one week this is the second incident of racist violence that was registered. The last one had occurred on December 23, 2011 again with one person being severely injured. This kind of attacks meanwhile have become daily in this area and other areas of Athens. The question is until when will that last? Instead of protecting asylum seekers the Greek Police, as we have noticed, is doing the opposite. We believe that the UNHCR but also other organisations and communities and each of us should help to stop the racist attacks. We from the Afghan Committee try to give the victims voice a voice. We want the stabbers to be finally sentenced. For exactly this reason we need to be present at the court case that was postponed to January 12, 2012!