A State Department report speaks of thousands of corruption cases: Negative reports on Greece, what does it say about the surveillance of journalists?

Secretary Antony J. Blinken delivers remarks on the release of the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices from the press briefing room at the Department of State in Washington, DC, April 22, 2024. Official State Department photo by Chuck Kennedy

The State Department’s report is negative on the status of Human Rights in Greece. The report was released yesterday and also mentions corruption, a major problem in the country, and the surveillance of journalists and politicians with the illegal Predator system.

As it states under the title: Corruption in government

The law provided for criminal penalties for officials convicted of corruption, and the government generally enforced the law effectively. There were some reports of government corruption.

The National Transparency Authority (NTA) oversaw the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) 2022-2025, conducted investigations and monitored the implementation of provisions on asset declarations and lobbying activities.

Fraud and corruption cases were assigned to the General Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crime Unit of the Ministry of Finance. The Home Affairs Directorate investigated corruption within the Independent Inland Revenue Authority.

The Internal Affairs Service for law enforcement investigated crimes, including corruption, committed by law enforcement. The Court of Audit was the highest financial court and control body regarding the use of public funds.

In 2022 the NTA received 3,513 complaints of alleged corruption, fraud and maladministration (3,057 in 2021) and carried out 575 audits and inspections (393 in 2021), of which 13 (21 in 2021) were referred for prosecution. There were 32 convictions either at the appeals court or at the first instance level (24 in 2021) and 15 acquittals (21 in 2021). Imprisonment was suspended in 28 of the 32 conviction cases.

In February the parliament passed a new law systematizing the asset declaration process. Three months earlier, it passed legislation to protect whistleblowers under an EU directive.

The Whistleblower Act mandated the NTA to receive, manage and monitor corruption complaints. the law mandated written, oral and online mechanisms through which public and private sector employees could raise concerns.

The most notable corruption cases during the year involved the police. On January 29, Supreme Court prosecutor Dogiakos ordered a preliminary investigation into a press report alleging links between high-ranking police officers and leaders of criminal gangs.

On May 29, authorities arrested five border police officers on charges of involvement in a smuggling ring bringing migrants from Turkey.

INHUMAN TREATMENT

Significant human rights issues included credible reports of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of prison inmates and migrants and asylum seekers by law enforcement authorities.

Crimes involving violence targeting members of ethnic or racial minorities are reported.

The Greek government regularly took steps to investigate, prosecute and punish officials who committed human rights abuses, whether in the security forces or other sectors of government.

There have, however, been complaints from non-governmental organizations and international organizations about the government’s failure to effectively investigate allegations of refoulement of asylum seekers and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

The constitution and law prohibit such practices. However, there were reports of ill-treatment and abuse by the police and coast guard against, among others, members of racial and ethnic minorities, undocumented migrants, asylum seekers, protesters and Roma.

On March 11, the Ministry of Civil Protection reported the arrest of four police officers on charges of “torture and other crimes against human dignity” after they allegedly beat a detainee while in transit between prisons.

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and international organizations reported that authorities beat migrants and asylum seekers, taking their documents, personal belongings and money.

Some reports claimed that authorities left migrants and asylum seekers stranded in the Aegean or in the land border area of the Evros without access to food, water or medical care.

Advocacy groups have reported that the country has not made significant progress in resolving Holocaust-era claims, including by foreign nationals, despite existing laws and mechanisms for property restitution.

The Organization for the Relief and Rehabilitation of Jews in Greece, a public law entity, claimed more than 100 properties that belonged to Jews before the war and continue to be used as government facilities.

ARBITRARY OR UNLAWFUL INTERFERENCES

The constitution and law prohibited such actions under certain conditions. There were no reports that the government failed to respect these bans.

For example, the law permitted invasions of citizens’ privacy if pre-approved by both a prosecutor and an appellate attorney.

In December 2022, the government passed a bill that provides for a two-year prison sentence for using, selling or distributing commercial spyware.

A May report by the European Parliament’s Committee of Inquiry into the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware found that the country was not using eavesdropping software “as part of a comprehensive authoritarian strategy” but was using spying software against “journalists, politicians and businessmen ” and exported such software to countries with poor records of human rights violations.

During the year, there were no new reports of spyware being used.

In July, the Greek Data Protection Authority presented findings suggesting that in 2022 the Predator software had been found on the personal devices of at least 92 Greeks.

The Authority said it had no evidence to show the origin of these efforts, but added that the investigation remains ongoing.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, INCLUDING FOR MEMBERS OF THE PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA

The constitution and law provided for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected this right.

An independent media, an effective judiciary and a functioning democratic political system combine to promote freedom of expression, including members of the press.

However, domestic and international agencies reported that journalists and media outlets faced pressure to avoid criticizing the government or reporting scandals.

On 12 January, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović urged the authorities to ensure that “human rights defenders and journalists could work safely and freely”.

In May, a Reporters Without Borders report raised concerns about wiretapping of journalists, allegedly by intelligence agencies and via the Predator spyware, concentration of media ownership, government control of public media and violence against journalists, particularly those covering protests and immigration.

FREEDOMS OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

Although the Constitution and law provided for freedom of association, courts continued to place legal restrictions on associations of self-identified ethnic “Macedonians” or associations that included the term “Turks” as indicative of a collective national identity.

The Thrace-based “Turkish Union of Xanthi” continued to operate without legal status, based on a 2021 Supreme Court ruling that denied its official registration for “reasons of national security and public order.”

Lasting solutions

The government accepted refugees for resettlement, offered naturalization to refugees residing on its territory, or assisted in their voluntary return to their homes.

Naturalization requirements for recognized refugees included seven years of residence. The government also processed family reunification applications of relatives of asylum seekers in other countries.

On March 29, the government passed legislation granting a 10-year residence permit to unaccompanied minors who came of age while in the country.

Temporary protection for Ukrainians

As of September 30, the government had provided temporary protection to 26,094 Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.

On September 4, the Minister of Immigration and Asylum announced that the country would extend the temporary protection status for displaced Ukrainians for an additional six months.

Government attitude towards alleged human rights violations

A variety of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restrictions.

Government officials were often cooperative and responsive to the views of these groups, although several organizations working on immigration issues continued to report undue pressures, including undue bureaucratic hurdles, increased financial controls, defamation lawsuits, criminal charges for money laundering, espionage and fraud, as well as press reports that deliberately target groups with fabricated claims.

Rape and domestic violence:

A report by the EU Expert Group on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence on 14 November revealed that although the country had made progress in combating violence against women, serious concerns remained, particularly regarding victim protection and low conviction rates, particularly in rape cases.

The report also noted that victims of gender-based violence had inadequate access to asylum procedures.

The government effectively enforced laws promoting gender equality, although discrimination occurred, especially in the private sector. In 2022, 205 complaints were filed for violation of equal treatment of men and women at work.

People with disabilities could not have adequate access to education, employment, public buildings and transport on an equal basis despite anti-discrimination legislation.

According to NGOs and disability rights organizations, the government did not effectively or consistently implement non-discrimination provisions, although it made efforts to provide information in accessible formats.

People with disabilities continued to have poor access to public buildings, transport and public spaces, although such access was required by law. In many cases, disabled parking spaces were below the required 5% and often deviated from the required dimensions.

NGOs reported that authorities denied housing and psychosocial support to unaccompanied children with disabilities and mental health problems once they turned 18, leaving many homeless or in camps inadequate to meet their needs. They also noted a lack of medical staff, mental health specialists and interpreters in such facilities.