Greece Is Treating Human Rights Groups Like Criminals, UN Rapporteur Says
During a 10-day visit to Greece, Lawlor expressed her concern about attacks on human rights defenders in the country, adding that they are facing defamation campaigns and are being treated as criminals, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
“I am concerned about the increasing criminalization of humanitarian assistance in Greece. Solidarity should never be punished, and compassion should never be put on trial,” she also noted.
Lawlor’s comments came as refugee rights groups said they were alarmed by the growing number of immigrants being prosecuted.
In response to Lawlor, the migration ministry said Greece “respects the action of individual or individual human rights defenders active in the field of migration and asylum“.
In addition, Greece has repeatedly denied allegations of so-called repatriation of asylum seekers, saying that in order to protect its borders, it seizes ships at sea.
According to InfoMigrants, recently, one of the issues raised against migrants was that of a man sentenced to 146 years in prison for running a boat on shore. Another charge was filed against a man who endangered his son’s life, who died during a sea crossing to Greece in 2020.
Meanwhile, the recent persecution of an asylum seeker in Greece has been described by the Community Peacekeeping Teams (CPT), a coalition of human rights defenders, who have called it “the most humiliating issue of criminalization” to date.
The CPT reports that it was a 27-year-old woman who was burned at stake in the Mavrovouni refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos. This event occurred in February 2021, and the woman known as M.M. was pregnant.
The woman in question was charged with aggravated arson and the destruction of public property. However, according to Lesbos-based migration journalist Franziska Grillmeier, after appearing in court in Mytilene on June 22, 2022, her hearing was adjourned as the court wanted another witness present.
In addition, in April, Greek police officers arrested four suspected migrant smugglers on the island of Rhodes.
Local media also reported that three others suspected of being linked to their smuggling network had been arrested in the Greek capital. According to police, the four detainees were citizens of Lebanon, Syria and Egypt.
