woman beaten and stripped by police in Greece

[supercar]

In a recent case reported to Amnesty International, a young Moldovan woman was allegedly ill-treated by officers at the General Police Headquarters of Attica in central Athens on 8 June 2007. The woman, who has been residing legally in Greece for four years with her family, was taken to the police station in an unmarked car by three plain-clothed police officers after they searched her home and demanded to see her residence permit and that of her father. Upon arrival at the police station they told her that they were looking for her ex-partner, and wanted her to tell them his address. She stated that she did not know it, whereupon they searched her handbag and examined her mobile telephone record.

She stated that subsequently she was taken into a different office of the police station by three non-uniformed female officers, one of whom repeatedly beat her around the head, causing her great pain. She said that the officers then told her to strip to her underwear and face the wall whereupon one of them hit her again and pulled out clumps of her hair. She said that she was then taken back to the first office where one of the three male officers again asked the whereabouts of her ex-partner. She said that they threatened to destroy her residence permit and that one officer told her, "we'll bring your parents here too and they will go through what you have. You will appear before a court as a defendant and we will send you back to your country along with your parents." One of the officers allegedly gripped her by the arm and threatened to hit her, while another kicked her. After around three hours, they released her, telling her to "disappear", but to inform them if she had news of her ex-partner. She went to hospital with pains in her head, dizziness and nausea. She was examined by x-ray and given a neck brace to wear.

Despite the fact that the woman has stated that she would be able to identify the officers involved, the fact that they gave her the telephone number of their office in order for her to pass on information to them about her ex-partner, and the fact that the following day she lodged a complaint of bodily harm, threats and blackmail, no steps have yet been taken to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Amnesty International calls on the Greek authorities to uphold their international legal obligations under the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment. They should initiate prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into all individual allegations of torture or other ill-treatment, bring perpetrators to justice and ensure reparations for victims. They should also ensure that police officers are thoroughly trained in order to reverse the pattern of human rights violations allegedly perpetrated by the police.

http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?lan...ENGEUR250072007

[stevewinn]

Whats that i can Smell, Sheep? no Horse no, its Bull $hit,

Amnesty International want to tackle the real issues in the world,

Amnesty International calls on the Greek authorities to uphold their international legal obligations under the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,

who the hell are Amnesty International to question the Greek authorities,

[wolfieboy]

Whats that i can Smell, Sheep? no Horse no, its Bull $hit,

Amnesty International want to tackle the real issues in the world,

Amnesty International calls on the Greek authorities to uphold their international legal obligations under the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,

who the hell are Amnesty International to question the Greek authorities, they are amnesty international god forbid you should ever need help while in a foreign country that doesnt play by the same rules you were raised under. these ppl are in the world to help maintain a even playing field concerning treatment of the accused.

[Bill Hill]

Amnesty International? Oh god not them.. do they actually have any credibility left?

No doubt Bono will be on the case, and at the next U2 concert, a top tune will be interrupted by a speech.

"Hello.... In Greece, a woman..was taken from her home.. stripped of her basic human rights, stripped of her dignity... I say.. NO MORE, C'MON .. C'mon

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY.. I mean (**** sorry) IN THE NAME OF LOVE!"

[rhyknow]

Amnesty International? Oh god not them.. do they actually have any credibility left?

No doubt Bono will be on the case, and at the next U2 concert, a top tune will be interrupted by a speech.

"Hello.... In Greece, a woman..was taken from her home.. stripped of her basic human rights, stripped of her dignity... I say.. NO MORE, C'MON .. C'mon

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY.. I mean (**** sorry) IN THE NAME OF LOVE!"

Am I missing something? What's wrong with Amnesty International?

[Bill Hill]

Am I missing something? What's wrong with Amnesty International?

They have done some good work BUT Amnesty International has been accused of selective bias and ideological bias. They always take the politically-correct position; which is fine if you agree with that position.

In particular, Amnesty International brought attention to violations committed on specific groups including: refugees, racial/ethnic/religious minorities, women and those executed or on death row.

[rhyknow]

They have done some good work BUT Amnesty International has been accused of selective bias and ideological bias. They always take the politically-correct position; which is fine if you agree with that position.

In particular, Amnesty International brought attention to violations committed on specific groups including: refugees, racial/ethnic/religious minorities, women and those executed or on death row.

Ah, fair enough. I suppose it is better if they concentrate on everyone instead of just a select group of people.

That way everyone gets the same amount of aid.

[Moon Monkey]

They have done some good work BUT Amnesty International has been accused of selective bias and ideological bias. They always take the politically-correct position; which is fine if you agree with that position.

In particular, Amnesty International brought attention to violations committed on specific groups including: refugees, racial/ethnic/religious minorities, women and those executed or on death row.

They highlight individual cases like this in decent countries nice and loud but nowhere near enough about countries in which this sort of stuff and worse wouldn't get reported, be far more common and wouldn't even be investigated. They seem to want different countries to play by different rules.

[Bill Hill]

They highlight individual cases like this in decent countries nice and loud but nowhere near enough about countries in which this sort of stuff and worse wouldn't get reported, be far more common and wouldn't even be investigated. They seem to want different countries to play by different rules.

Yep very true moonmonkey..

Check out this Amnesty international meeting; they're a right bunch of 'right-on' smug liberal nerdy ****s..

[supercar]

It's not just Amnesty International who is saying this. These claims have also been made by the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture,and,the United States Department of State:

International organizations and human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) repeatedly alleged that illegal immigrants and refugees were subjected to violence by [Greek]border guards and coast guard officers when caught entering the country illegally. Violence also occurred as [Greek]coast guard officials tried to prevent illegal immigrants from leaving the country en route to other European Union (EU) countries.

The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) reported in December that the rights of persons in [Greek]police detention centers were not respected in practice and that there continued to be widespread use of violence against persons deprived of their liberty. The CPT delegation doctors found that persons who had alleged ill-treatment during interrogation or while in border guard stations were found to have injuries consistent with their allegations. NGOs expressed continuing concern over the mistreatment of individuals during arrest and detention and for the failure of judicial and administrative systems to deal promptly and effectively with cases of police misconduct.

By year's end no results had been released concerning the investigation of a case of two civilians who alleged in 2004 that police beat them in Pyrgos, Peloponnese, during a routine identity check. Similarly, no results had been announced regarding allegations that three armed forces officers abused and beat 10 illegal immigrants on an islet in the Aegean Sea in 2004. By year's end no date had been set for the trial of two police officers charged with subjecting a group of Afghan asylum seekers in 2004 to interrogation techniques that allegedly included torture.

In a letter to the Ministry of Public Order made public in January 2005, the deputy ombudsman for human rights noted numerous procedural and substantive shortcomings in the investigation concerning the alleged police torture in 2002 of Nigerian citizen Joseph Okeke and the alleged 2002 beating and torture of Yannis Papacostas in a police station near Athens. The deputy ombudsman called for police to re-evaluate their report on Okeke on the basis that the procedure suffered from gross errors concerning the evaluation and appraisal of the available evidence. At year's end an application based on this case was pending with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) alleging violation of the article in the European Convention on Human Rights that prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

In December 2005 the ECHR ordered the government to pay a fine of $13,100 (10,000 euros) to each of two Romani men for inhuman and degrading treatment by police in Mesolonghi in 1998; the government paid the fine during the year. In December 2004 the ECHR ordered the government to pay a fine of $19,650 (15,000 euros) for failing to carry out an effective investigation of a 1995 shooting incident in which police officers seriously injured an unarmed person; the government reportedly paid the fine during the year. Police were more likely to abuse Roma than other minority groups. Immigrants, including Albanians, also accused police of abuse

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78815.htm

[rhyknow]

Yep very true moonmonkey..

Check out this Amnesty international meeting; they're a right bunch of 'right-on' smug liberal nerdy ****s..

Oh god, they're all like my grandmother's socialist worker husband! Aieee!

[xCrimsonx]

Thats BS! Poor woman!

[Mr Black]

That sucks, from the people you expect to protect and serve! Things like this make me somewhat angry!

[stevewinn]

The Greek Police are supposed to have beaten her up but she never suffered any broken bones, jaw nose or anything, had the x-Ray and was given a neck brace? Dont take any notice of NGO's or Charities, they are set up by people who have their own ideology, look at the picture above, all left wing do gooders who all live in Ivory towers and are so far moved from reality they might aswell be in a different dimension.

[supercar]

Dont take any notice of NGO's or Charities

NGO's are a good source of information. And my previous post contains a report by the United States Department of State. The report is posted on the Department of State's website(link provided):

International organizations and human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) repeatedly alleged that illegal immigrants and refugees were subjected to violence by [Greek]border guards and coast guard officers when caught entering the country illegally. Violence also occurred as [Greek]coast guard officials tried to prevent illegal immigrants from leaving the country en route to other European Union (EU) countries.

The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) reported in December that the rights of persons in [Greek]police detention centers were not respected in practice and that there continued to be widespread use of violence against persons deprived of their liberty. The CPT delegation doctors found that persons who had alleged ill-treatment during interrogation or while in border guard stations were found to have injuries consistent with their allegations. NGOs expressed continuing concern over the mistreatment of individuals during arrest and detention and for the failure of judicial and administrative systems to deal promptly and effectively with cases of police misconduct.

By year's end no results had been released concerning the investigation of a case of two civilians who alleged in 2004 that police beat them in Pyrgos, Peloponnese, during a routine identity check. Similarly, no results had been announced regarding allegations that three armed forces officers abused and beat 10 illegal immigrants on an islet in the Aegean Sea in 2004. By year's end no date had been set for the trial of two police officers charged with subjecting a group of Afghan asylum seekers in 2004 to interrogation techniques that allegedly included torture.

In a letter to the Ministry of Public Order made public in January 2005, the deputy ombudsman for human rights noted numerous procedural and substantive shortcomings in the investigation concerning the alleged police torture in 2002 of Nigerian citizen Joseph Okeke and the alleged 2002 beating and torture of Yannis Papacostas in a police station near Athens. The deputy ombudsman called for police to re-evaluate their report on Okeke on the basis that the procedure suffered from gross errors concerning the evaluation and appraisal of the available evidence. At year's end an application based on this case was pending with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) alleging violation of the article in the European Convention on Human Rights that prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

In December 2005 the ECHR ordered the government to pay a fine of $13,100 (10,000 euros) to each of two Romani men for inhuman and degrading treatment by police in Mesolonghi in 1998; the government paid the fine during the year. In December 2004 the ECHR ordered the government to pay a fine of $19,650 (15,000 euros) for failing to carry out an effective investigation of a 1995 shooting incident in which police officers seriously injured an unarmed person; the government reportedly paid the fine during the year. Police were more likely to abuse Roma than other minority groups. Immigrants, including Albanians, also accused police of abuse

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78815.htm

[Username Deleted]

NGO's are a good source of information.

And can be terrible with some of their ideologies. I find their consistant demand of "sustainability" in some of the poorest regions on earth to be nothing short of cruel.

[supercar]

And can be terrible with some of their ideologies

Idealogies? I'm talking about information.

[questionmark]

Yep very true moonmonkey..

Check out this Amnesty international meeting; they're a right bunch of 'right-on' smug liberal nerdy ****s..

Hmmm... isn't that Mary Neth on the picture (former Stars and Stripes writer/editor ?)

[Bill Hill]

They are set up by people who have their own ideology, look at the picture above, all left wing do gooders who all live in Ivory towers and are so far moved from reality they might aswell be in a different dimension.

I'm with you on that one, stevewinn!

lol look at the guy on the right "Is this free range, organic fare-trade chicken?..anyway ya..it's simply deplorable."

[chemical-licker]

so true so true

[wolfieboy]

who the hell are Amnesty International to question the Greek authorities, they are amnesty international god forbid you should ever need help while in a foreign country that doesnt play by the same rules you were raised under. these ppl are in the world to help maintain a even playing field concerning treatment of the accused.

[stevewinn]

who the hell are Amnesty International to question the Greek authorities, they are amnesty international god forbid you should ever need help while in a foreign country that doesnt play by the same rules you were raised under. these ppl are in the world to help maintain a even playing field concerning treatment of the accused.

Wolfie, i bet your a member or at worst a donator, Amnesty International are an organisation in my eyes thats ok shouting from the safety of the shores of countries such has the UK and will shout loudest when in their Ivory towers behind the parapet, they should go to countries like China, Korea, Zimbabwe, Sudan Tanzania ect: and do some active work on the ground, they're alright demonstrating in London against certain countries but the question must be asked why if they are so concerned for the people of Countries effected why dont they actually go to these countries? most probably because they'd never be seen again or be lucky to exit the country in one piece.

Go to their Web site and look at the Vacancies. Campaigner - Sudan £26,000 a year, you'd think job location would be actually in Sudan, but its based in London, find out how much the salary is for executive director of Amnesty, including Bonuses and they want people to donate, whos on the hey diddle diddle fiddle

I would never want the Help from Amnesty International if i was in a foreign country, if i needed help i'd go to the British Embassy.

Edited October 2, 2007 by stevewinn

[Bill Hill]

Campaigner - Sudan £26,000 a year, you'd think job location would be actually in Sudan, but its based in London,

26 grand to raise 'awareness' about Sudan. lol easy... just sit about taking phone calls.

"Hello, Amnesty International, how may I help you? uh huh you want to know about Sudan... yep the situation in Sudan is crappy.

uh mmh details? Just crappy.. Africa and that...'crap vibes' you know.. uh huh ok that sound's nice, I'll be there.. fresh lentils did you say?"