Human Rights Violations Rife in Greece

DinoDoc · January 12, 2003, 13:35

Greece: Quotes from victims of human rights violations

This document contains extracts of quotations from a number of individuals who have alleged that they were victims of human rights violations and whose cases are presented in the report "Greece: In the shadow of impunity -Ill-treatment and the misuse of firearms".

"[One officer] took an iron bar from under his desk... and held it to my throat saying he would choke me if I did not tell the truth... [A police officer] told me: 'Pull your trousers down. If you don't pull your trousers down for me to **** you, you'll die here. I said I wouldn't... He pulled at the button and undid it. I buttoned it back up and then [they] beat me..." Lazaros Bekos, 17, Rom.

"I begged him to be careful of my arm because of an earlier operation for a double fracture, but he kicked me in the stomach and then the left arm, resulting in a further fracture. When I realized [what had happened] I told him: 'You've broken my arm, please call a doctor'. While I was writhing in pain, he tried to kick my genitals and bending to avoid the blow I received the kick in my right ribs. Then I thought my end had come..." Ilias Hatzidiakos, 40, Greek.

"After arresting me, the officers dragged me to the police patrol van, where they pulled me over the bonnet and began to beat me. I think they also used truncheons. Their blows made me fall to the ground and then they began to kick me. At one point they put me in the van, where they again began to beat me. For some reason they took me out of the van, beat me again, and then put me back into the van, where I was once again beaten. In the meantime my children had come to the door, and when they saw the officers beat me they began to cry." Andreas Kalamiotis, 21, Rom.

"At about 6.30pm, I crossed over a stream which runs along the border and began to climb the mountainside ... When I reached the top I took a path through the forest. I had not gone more than 300 metres when I heard a dog; the dog sprang at me and caught me by the sleeve of my jacket. Then I heard soldiers shout: 'Halt!' I answered: 'Yes!'...The soldiers called to me from a distance and I replied that I was alone. They came and searched me, called off the dog, and took away everything I had on me ... They [then] told me to lie face down on the ground. When I did this, they began to kick me and beat me with their rifle-butts on my side, back and shoulders. I said: 'Please, I'm an old man, please don't hit me'. They yelled: 'Don't say a word unless we ask you questions'. After they had well and truly beaten me, two soldiers (there was a third soldier who stood at a distance of some 12 to 15 metres and did not approach) told me to get up. With difficulty I got to my feet. The two soldiers who had beaten me withdrew some five metres and said something to each other in a low voice. I did not understand or hear what they were saying. But after this conversation, one of them approached me from behind with a pistol in his hand and said: 'Walk on ahead', and as I raised my right foot to take the first step, he shot me with the pistol, and again told me to walk on. But I told him to shoot me in the head and finish me off. Then that soldier said to me: 'Why did you go back? -- although I had only taken one step forward. As I lay wounded on the ground, they said to me: 'Now run off to Albania' ... After about an hour a military doctor came. He tried to staunch the bleeding; he tore off a piece of my shirt and placed it on the right side of my stomach where the bullet had come out and told me to press it [against the wound]. He took two belts from the soldiers, and fastened them tightly around the wounds where the bullet had entered and come out." Ferhat Ceka, 67, Albanian.

"At the frontier, men of the Greek border forces came towards us. They ordered us to lie down; three of my friends ran away, but they caught me and began to kick me and beat me with rifle butts about my head and body. Afterwards they took me to the barracks, and took the money I had on me ... they held me for about an hour. At 1am on 14 June 2001 they brought me to the Albanian customs post and we immediately went to the [Albanian] police and told them what had happened. The police took the necessary measures and brought me to hospital." Kastriot Rrapi, Albanian.

"[Police officers at Hellenikon New Holding Centre] grabbed me and started to kick me, pulling me and beating me with a large black rectangular object that had two extensions like claws. Every time they touched me it was as if electricity was piercing my body." Joseph Emeka Okeke, Nigerian immigrant detained pending deportation.

"Despite the fact that I was alone, unarmed and that my back was turned towards them, the police officers ... attacked me violently without any reason. They surrounded me and started to kick me and beat me with truncheons all over my body until I collapsed on the pavement. Even then they did not stop -- on the contrary, [the plainclothes officer] continued with even greater violence to kick my head and face despite the fact that I was completely defenceless and overpowered." Melpo Koronaiou, Greek.

http://web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/Index/...UNTRIES\GREECE

This is the behavior we get from a president of the EU?

Shi Huangdi · January 12, 2003, 13:50

Shame on Greece for these horrible allegations of torture. We see here even more evidence that Greece is not a civilized Western country.

Ted Striker · January 12, 2003, 14:03

One popular means of torture involves using an epilator to the back.

Good job DD.

Chris 62 · January 12, 2003, 14:06

Yes, but the USA is THE #1 Violator!

I read it on Apolyton!

Ted Striker · January 12, 2003, 14:07

USA! USA! USA!

Az · January 12, 2003, 14:09

http://www.florina.org/html/2000/200...crim_docs.html

In the last few years, Greece has initiated a policy of ethnic cleansing against members of its Macedonian minority by depriving them of their Greek citizenship. Many Macedonians who have gone abroad to work have become victims of this discriminatory policy.

. Open expression of one's Macedonian identity is not tolerated in Greece where authorities refuse to acknowledge any national minorities within their borders.

Gatekeeper · January 12, 2003, 14:13

Perhaps Greece won't be so keen to have the EU presidency the next time the nation is slotted for the position. As they're learning, leadership often exposes you to withering criticism, and not all of it rational or well thought out.

I call it the "United States Syndrome."

Gatekeeper

Ted Striker · January 12, 2003, 14:15

That's one of the best summaries I've ever seen Gatekeeper.

Gatekeeper · January 12, 2003, 14:22

^^^Cool! Is it sig-worthy material for someone?

Wernazuma III · January 12, 2003, 16:16

Gatekeeper: You're right, but that doesn't make it better (neither for Greece now nor for the United States). If someone of those who now chant USA! USA! (for what reason? Because we in Europe have violent, racist police too? Yay, that's somthing to be really proud about - Not only Americans are as$holes!)
That kind of behavior also happens in other European nations to some extent, here in Austria too. But instead of defending it, or ignoring it by saying that it's nothing but envy or hate I think it's equally to be condemned.
If similar accusations were lanced against the USA, a good number of people here would either defend the actions or call it propaganda. Don't think that torture and racistic treatment does not happen in the US too.

Ted Striker · January 12, 2003, 16:23

Eurocoms don't understand the meaning of "USA!"

Wernazuma III · January 12, 2003, 16:31

From Amnesty International, the same site, from where DD quoted the human rights violations in Greece.

USA: Racist police brutality remains endemic in many areas
Videotapes showing US police beating two unarmed black suspects in separate incidents in the past week are a disturbing reminder that police use of excessive force remains endemic in many areas, Amnesty International said today.

An incident filmed Saturday night shows an officer from Inglewood (a town near Los Angeles airport) lifting a handcuffed youth in the air and slamming his head onto the hood of a police car. The second incident, on Monday, shows two Oklahoma City police officers repeatedly beating a suspect on the ground with their batons. The suspect was pepper-sprayed twice. In both cases the officers involved were white, and the suspects black.

"It is even more disturbing that both incidents took place in routine stop and search situations," Amnesty International said. "While some departments have introduced reforms following heightened scrutiny in recent years, this has not filtered down to all departments or all levels, and allegations of police brutality, particularly towards minority suspects, remain common in many areas."

While welcoming reports that investigations have been opened into both cases, Amnesty International is disturbed by remarks made by an Oklahoma City police spokeswoman, apparently justifying the officers' actions on the ground that the suspect was "not compliant". International standards, such as those contained under the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, state that force should be used only as a last resort and it must be proportionate to the threat posed. Repeatedly beating a barely resisting suspect, including while he is lying on the ground, appears in clear violation of these standards.

There have been other disturbing cases involving the Oklahoma City Police Department. In January 2001, Amnesty International wrote to the Oklahoma City police chief to express concern about the case of Billy Bennet Jr, who died in September 2000 after being hogtied and pepper sprayed. Although the coroner ruled out positional asphyxia as a cause of death in the case, Amnesty International urged the department to ban hogtying as a dangerous form of restraint and to review the use of pepper spray. In the same letter, Amnesty International also expressed concern about several fatal shootings by Oklahoma City police officers in a four-month period.

Amnesty International will be raising its concerns about the latest cases directly with the departments involved and urging them to review their use of force policies and ensure that human rights standards are incorporated into police training and fully observed.

http://web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/Index/...=COUNTRIES\USA

If you live in a country, where such things don't happen, please throw the stone. If not, try doing something against such happenings in your country. But here, the same people who always defend such things in the US or call them lies are ready to accept the stories in this case (I accept them too, don't get me wrong)

Wernazuma III · January 12, 2003, 16:33

Originally posted by Ted Striker
Eurocoms don't understand the meaning of "USA!"

What are you trying to tell me, Ameriklan? What is it, then?

Shi Huangdi · January 12, 2003, 18:00

"
If you live in a country, where such things don't happen, please throw the stone. If not, try doing something against such happenings in your country. But here, the same people who always defend such things in the US or call them lies are ready to accept the stories in this case (I accept them too, don't get me wrong)"

Europeans are usually alot more eager to start country bashing threads, this was done as a counter-troll on someone who bashed Turkey...

Ted Striker · January 12, 2003, 19:40

Wernazuma,

That has already been posted in another thread and it's locked down like 3 hours ago! Plus it's a tired old post anyway.

I can't explain "USA!" to a Eurocom because it's not something explainable.

DinoDoc · January 13, 2003, 10:54

Bump.

axi · January 13, 2003, 11:02

Posted before paiktis22!!!

Apart from the fact that you posted with a totally troll mentality, the article you posted DD may be sad but it's true.

got to run now..... I will comment on this later...

HershOstropoler · January 13, 2003, 11:05

Originally posted by Ted Striker
I can't explain "USA!" to a Eurocom because it's not something explainable.

No rational person stands a chance of understanding it. It's pretty much like "Hier-regiert-der-F-C-R..."

Urban Ranger · January 13, 2003, 11:27

Bad attempt at trolling, Dino.

Can't you do better?

DinoDoc · January 13, 2003, 11:32

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Bad attempt at trolling, Dino.

I agree. My target never showed up.

Can't you do better?

Would you like me to?

Ozz · January 13, 2003, 11:38

In all fairness, dig deep enough, you can find police voilating the law in every country. The only differience is
the freqency of it happening.

Pure aimed Troll

Wernazuma III · January 13, 2003, 12:54

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
Europeans are usually alot more eager to start country bashing threads, this was done as a counter-troll on someone who bashed Turkey...

Oh, all about paiktis, I see! Makes more sense now.

Ted Striker: That's why it's not an inch better than "USSR!" or "3RD REICH!". It's just, well, blind.
I hope you don't think that I compare these countries with each other, I'm just comparing the kind of narrowminded patriotism or nationalism.

axi · January 14, 2003, 16:01

On today's news, two policemen were arrested, for robbing immigrants in Omonia square, in the very centre of Athens.

Police brutality is happening everywhere. I would never try to defend it; on the contrary I have made a couple posts denouncing it in the past.

The Rom and the Albanians are the ones who get preferrably persecuted. Mostly as "usual suspects", the first in connection with drug trafficking and the second in connection with theft and robbery, usually. Greeks mostly have racist feelings against these two groups.

OTOH the quotes mentioned by Azazel are pure propaganda. The site quoted from belongs to a minuscule autonomist organisation who are paid agents of foreign secret services. All slavic minorities have dissapeared from Macedonia a long time ago, along with all the communist guerillas....