LAST UPDATE: 13.27
The State Department’s annual report on human rights in Greece includes observations on cases of human rights violations in Greece.
American diplomacy, in a summary of its reports to Greece, notes that:
“There have been no significant changes in the human rights situation in Greece during the past year. For significant human rights issues there are reliable reports of:
-cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of prison inmates as well as immigrants and asylum seekers by law enforcement authorities;
-crimes involving violence targeting members of national, racial or ethnic minorities and
-crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or trans people.
The government regularly took steps to investigate, prosecute and punish officials who committed human rights abuses, whether in the security forces or elsewhere in the government. There have, however, been complaints from non-governmental organizations and international organizations about the government’s failure to effectively investigate allegations of push backs and hold those responsible to account.”
The response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Commenting on the content of the State Department’s report, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs speaks of a report which records, without further investigation, complaints by non-governmental organizations for which no independent audit is carried out.
“Precisely because of this indiscriminate recording, it appears that in all countries with a developed rule of law there are serious human rights issues.
Particularly important for the integrity, reliability and objectivity of the report is the fact that the opinion of the Greek state was not sought in relation to the mentioned issues.
Although the progress in relation to the protection of rights in Greece is recognized on many levels, the report ignores or completely ignores regulatory interventions and national strategies of recent years to ensure the rights of vulnerable categories of citizens, such as the disabled, LGBTQI and unaccompanied minors.
Throughout time, the reports on Greece present similar human rights issues. Particularly in the period 2016-2019, very serious complaints were cited, which gradually disappeared.
The Greek government will continue to consistently serve democracy and the rule of law in Greece, deepening the essential equality of citizens and their individual and social rights and improving their standard of living,” concludes the Foreign Ministry.
SYRIZA: A rap for the Mitsotakis government
“The report of the US Department of State on the status of Human Rights in Greece is another insult to the Mitsotakis Government. It fully confirms the concerns that other international organizations have already expressed about the state of the Rule of Law in Greece”, reports SYRIZA- PS in his announcement, on the occasion of the publication of the report.
He mentions that the special report of the US Foreign Ministry describes “in the darkest colors” the status of Human Rights in Greece. The official opposition expresses sadness “that a report with such great international appeal contains so many negative reports about our country”. He notes that “however, the problems can no longer be hidden and the embellishments of the Mitsotakis media system no longer have any force at all”, while he argues that “what is at stake in the June 9 elections is the quality of our Republic and its international position country”.
