The excessive use of force by Greek police against demonstrators in December 2008 and allegations of violations of international agreements on refugees and asylum seekers mark the score card for Greece in Amnesty International’s annual report.
Greece is rated as one of the worst of the 157 countries considered in the annual global assessment of human rights for 2008.
Greek Amnesty international spokesperson Mrs Maro Savopoulou said, “Although our role is not to rank countries according to their infringements, our role is to reinforce the message that it is necessary to respect the rights of socially vulnerable groups.”
The 2008 Amnesty International’s report on Greece included a critical examination of the :
• Harsh measures the Greek government has instituted against refugees and asylum seekers;
• Excessive force used by police during the December riots,
• Ineffectiveness of the continuing police investigation into the attack on unionist Konstantina Kuneva; . government inaction in not charging four police officers who seriously injured student Cypriot Dimitris Augustinus in November 2007 in Thessaloniki
• Poor handling of the issue of gay marriage on the island of Tilos.
• Illtreament by police of migrants and of marginal groups
• Complaints made by prisoners and hunger-strikers about their treatment by guards during the protests against prison conditions in October and November 2008.
“The recent events may serve as a catalyst for the government to set up an committee of inquiry to deal with such cases and other institutional issues Amnesty International chairperson, Ms. Katerina Kapernarakou said
The Deputy Minister for the Interior, Mr. Markogiannakis, dismissed the findings of the report as being one-sided.
The secretary general of Amnesty International, Ms Airin Khan, warned hat “behind the global finanical crisis, there is an explosive human rights crisis.”