On the 23rd of May, the 2007 report by Amnesty International was released to the public. The document covers all the continents with all their individual failures in terms of Human Rights. I have written about many of the issues that were raised by AI at various times throughout the year. Greece is questioned on six issues:
Abductions and incommunicado detention in the ‘war on terror’
This involves the alleged kidnapping and torture of Pakistani men in Athens. Read my posts here, here, here, here here and here. (in chronological order)
Treatment of migrants and refugees
I have written about this so many times that I have to choose just two posts to highlight the issues. This one and this one. If you want to read more, do a search for asylum, migrants, refugees or immigration on this blog or search the categories.
Conscientious objection to military service
Again, I covered the reports as they came out and this strange situation.
Domestic violence
I have to admit I have written very little on this. It relates to laws on domestic violence which in Greece, up until the present, favours keeping families together rather than the rights of victims.
In October parliament adopted a law combating domestic violence, placing the emphasis on the preservation of the family unit rather than on the rights of the victims, who in the vast majority of cases are women. Under the law, judicial arbitration would be at the initiation of the prosecutor rather than at the victim’s request, a definite time frame for immediate implementation of restraining orders was lacking, and budgetary provisions to ensure the implementation of the law had not been allocated by the end of the year
I will try and investigate this further at some point in the near future.
Trafficking in human beings
Greece is hub for trafficking people into Europe and little is being done to help the victims. Most of the organisations set up to help victims of this crime, struggle to find money to run their projects. One case which lingers in my mind that has not been addressed, involves a Greek organisation that was supposed to help child victims of trafficking.
Freedom of expression
In July the European Court of Human Rights ruled unanimously that Greece had violated Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights in the case of Mehmet Agga, an elected but unofficial Mufti in the prefecture of Xanthi, who had been convicted in 1997 by a domestic court for usurping the function of a minister of a “known religion” under Article 175 of the Criminal Code
As far as I remember I have no posts on this. If anyone has any information, I would appreciate you sending it in the comments or by email.
A major Amnesty International conclusion:
Greece: High time to comply fully with European standards on conscientious objection
I second that emotion.
Technorati: Amnesty International, Greece, human rights, immigration, migration, women, freedom of speech, religion,
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