State Department Report Criticizes Greece’s Record on Human Rights

There were “no significant changes” in the human rights situation in Greece over the past year, the US State Department said in its annual report which includes, however, a list of issues about the treatment of migrants, police, and the use of spyware.

The report says “significant human rights issues included credible reports of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment of prison detainees and of migrants and asylum seekers by law enforcement authorities; crimes involving violence targeting members of national, racial, or ethnic minority groups; and crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex persons.”

The Greek government consistently took steps to investigate, prosecute, and punish officials who committed human rights abuses whether in the security forces or elsewhere in the government, the report said.

“There were, however, complaints from nongovernmental organizations and international organizations regarding government failures to effectively investigate allegations of forced returns of asylum seekers and to hold those responsible to account,” it added.

For example, the State Department mentions reports of mistreatment and abuse by police and the Coast Guard, including against members of racial and ethnic minority groups, undocumented migrants, asylum seekers, demonstrators, and Roma.

Furthermore, prison and detention centers remained overcrowded, often with inadequate sanitation or health care, the report said.

Corruption and media in Greece according to the Human Rights report

On corruption, the State Department found that “the most notable cases” involved police. There were 32 convictions either at appeal or first instance levels (24 in 2021) and 15 acquittals (21 in 2021). Imprisonment was suspended in 28 of the 32 conviction cases.

Concerning media plurality, according to the report, domestic and international agencies said journalists and media outlets faced pressure to avoid criticizing the government or reporting scandals.

The report notes that the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, urged authorities to ensure “human rights defenders and journalists could work safely and freely.”

In May 2023, a report by Reporters Without Borders cited concerns about wiretapping of journalists, allegedly by the intelligence agencies and using the Predator spyware, concentration of media ownership, government control of public media, and violence against journalists, primarily those covering protests and migration.

Furthermore, media freedom watchdogs continued to raise concerns about the use of Greek liber and slander laws to intimidate journalists.

In her March report, the UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders noted journalists faced “criminal lawsuits and strategic lawsuits against public participation for their investigative reporting on corruption and environmental pollution.”

Gender-based violence in Greece

On gender-based violence, a November 14th EU Group of Experts on Action against Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence report revealed that “although Greece had made progress in combating violence against women, serious concerns remained, particularly regarding victim protection, implicit attitudes about gender-based violence among police, prosecutors, and judicial decision-making officials.”

There were also high rates of witness and victim attrition and low conviction rates, particularly in cases of rape.

Greece responds

Responding to the report, the Greek Foreign Ministry appeared to question the findings, stating that the State Department did not seek the view of the government.

“Particularly important for the integrity, reliability and objectivity of the report is the fact that the opinion of the Greek state was not sought about the mentioned issues,” the ministry said in a press release.

“The report lists, without further investigation, complaints by non-governmental organizations that are not independently verified. Precisely because of this indiscriminate recording, it appears that serious human rights issues exist in all countries with a developed rule of law,” it was added.