Newsroom

Press Release

It is unconscionable that one year since this horrific tragedy the investigation into the potential liability of the Hellenic Coast Guard has barely progressed.

June 13, 2024

Press Release

The imminent trial of nine survivors of the June 2023 Pylos shipwreck off Greece raises fair trial concerns based on questions about the integrity of the investigation and evidence.

May 17, 2024

Press Release

Greek authorities must not only take steps to ensure the swift and effective implementation of the new legislation but should also introduce further legislative changes to guarantee full equality for LGBTQI+ people and families.

February 15, 2024

Press Release

Asylum-seekers staying in a new EU-funded refugee camp on the island of Samos are being detained illegally by Greek authorities following a yet unpublished decision from the Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum, based on information received by Amnesty International. 

December 1, 2021

Press Release

Responding to news from MSF and SOS Mediterranée that the Aquarius search and rescue vessel has been forced to end operations, Amnesty International’s Secretary General said: “Today, we received some very sad news. Médecins Sans Frontières and its partner SOS Méditerranée have been forced to terminate operations by the search and rescue ship, Aquarius. “Over the last two years the Aquarius and her crew have rescued nearly 30,000 people in the Mediterranean. Yet, more than 2,100 people have drowned this year. The vast majority were fleeing violence, torture and arbitrary detention in Libya. “During this time, not only have European governments failed to…

December 7, 2018

Press Release

Responding to the release on bail of volunteers and staff who provided life-saving assistance to refugees, Kondylia Gougou, Amnesty International’s Greece Researcher said: “Whilst we welcome the news that these dedicated humanitarians will be back with their families tonight after more than 100 days behind bars, the fact that they still face absurd charges and potentially long prison sentences is an outrage. “This case is just the latest example of how authorities are mis-using anti-smuggling laws to target activists and criminalize rescue. To detain dedicated volunteer humanitarians who helped people in need defies logic. People who selfless act in these ways should be…

December 4, 2018

Report

Women fleeing war and conflict are coming together to fight against horrific abuses, including sexual violence, and to demand a better life in Europe, Amnesty International reveals in a new report published today. I want to decide my future: Uprooted women in Greece speak out, reveals the perilous journeys made by women and girls and the terrible conditions and dangers they face when they finally arrive on the Greek islands or mainland. It also highlights the tremendous resilience and strength these women have shown in overcoming adversity. “The abject failure of European governments to open safe and legal routes to…

October 4, 2018

Press Release

Greek authorities must ensure that refugees and migrants expected to start being evacuated from three Elliniko camps tomorrow, are provided with safe, adequate, alternative housing, said Amnesty International.

May 22, 2017

Press Release

US President Barack Obama should use his visit to Greece, which begins on 15 November, to call for concrete action to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Greece and for European countries to stop shirking responsibility for refugee protection, said Amnesty International. “President Obama must use his visit to shine the spotlight not only on abysmal conditions for the tens of thousands of refugees stranded in Greece, but also on the failure of world leaders to adequately address the wider global refugee crisis,” said John Dalhuisen, Europe Director for Amnesty International. “As winter closes in and the global political climate grows…

November 14, 2016

Press Release

·         “They lied to us”: testimony shows refugees were told they were going to Athens ·         Asylum claims and procedural guarantees ignored ·         EU border agency officers involved Greece has illegally returned at least eight Syrian refugees to Turkey without respecting procedural guarantees or considering their asylum claims, documentation and testimonies obtained by Amnesty International reveal.  The Syrians, including four children under the age of five, were rescued in Greek waters when their boat travelling from Turkey to Italy encountered problems and they were taken to the island of Milos on October 9. All eight registered their intention to claim…

October 28, 2016

Press Release

Greece’s return of 10 Syrian refugees to Turkey, reportedly without considering their asylum claims, is a dangerous move that shows a callous disregard for their safety, Amnesty International said. According to information received by Amnesty International, the group included six adults including two parents who were travelling with their four children aged between one and six. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said their claims to asylum were not considered, which would make the returns illegal. “If these refugees were sent to Turkey without due consideration of their asylum claim, this is undoubtedly a case of refoulement. This is a…

October 21, 2016

Press Release

The alleged ill-treatment of five Syrian refugee children who say they were detained, beaten and forced to strip naked by Greek police for carrying plastic toy guns in the street is a deeply disturbing incident that must be properly investigated, Amnesty International said today. The children, boys aged between 12 and 16, were seized “on suspicion of being members of an armed group” while they carried the toys as props on their way to perform in a theatre play in central Athens this week. “The ridiculous elements of this case should not deflect attention from the extremely serious and deeply…

September 30, 2016