Below you’ll find breaking news as well as reports, updates on our campaigns, and victories.
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Press Release
Refugee Crisis: Balkans border blocks leave thousands discriminated against and stranded in Greece
New border control rules implemented almost simultaneously by the governments of Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia over the past 48 hours have resulted in large-scale renewed human rights violations, including collective expulsions and discrimination against individuals perceived to be economic migrants or refugees on the basis of their nationality, Amnesty International said today.
November 20, 2015
Press Release
Greece: Thousands of Refugees in ‘Hellish’ Conditions on Kos as EU Commissioners Visit
Today’s visit by European Commissioners Timmermans and Avramopoulos to the Greek island of Kos must result in immediate action to end the prolonged suffering of thousands of refugees, including many children, staying in inhumane conditions, Amnesty International said today following a research mission on the island this week.
September 3, 2015
Report
Use of Force – Guidelines for Implementation of the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by law enforcement officials
From the streets of Ferguson, Missouri to the favelas of Brazil, the police use of force and firearms makes global headlines when it turns fatal.
September 2, 2015
Press Release
Greece: Chaos and squalid conditions face record number of refugees on Lesvos
Weak coordination and severe shortages in facilities and staffing are creating dreadful conditions for the hundreds of refugees and migrants arriving every day on the Greek island of Lesvos, which is seeing the highest number of arrivals in Greece, Amnesty International said after a research team returned from the island.
August 25, 2015
Report
State of the World 2014/2015
This has been a devastating year for those seeking to stand up for human rights and for those caught up in the suffering of war zones. Governments pay lip service to the importance of protecting civilians. And yet the world's politicians have miserably failed to protect those in greatest need. Amnesty International believes that this can and must finally change.
February 25, 2015
Report
Frontier Europe: Human Rights Abuses on Greece’s Border with Turkey
The external frontier of the EU between Turkey and Greece is made up of a 203km land border in the Evros region in the North and a sea border on the Aegean in the South. This border has long been one of the main entry routes for migrants and refugees trying to find safety or a better life in Europe. In 2012, it saw the largest number of irregular entries to the EU out of all the EU's external borders.2 A large number of those arriving are from conflict torn countries like Afghanistan and Syria. Research by Amnesty International has…
July 10, 2013
Report
Annual Report: Greece 2013
HELLENIC REPUBLIC Head of state Karolos Papoulias Head of government Antonis Samaras (replaced Panagiotis Pikrammenos) Allegations of human rights abuses by police, including torture and excessive use of force continued throughout the year. Migrants and asylum-seekers faced impediments in registering their asylum applications and were often detained in substandard conditions. Hate crime on the basis of race and ethnicity escalated dramatically. Background The economy was in crisis, and unemployment reached 26.8% in October. Further austerity measures were voted by Parliament in February and November, amid protests in Athens and other cities. In May, the European Committee on Social Rights found…
May 20, 2013
Report
Greece: The End of the Road for Refugees, Asylum-Seekers and Migrants
Every year, tens of thousands of irregular migrants and asylum-seekers cross the Greek border in search of shelter, refuge or just a better life within the European Union. Few of them find it in Greece. Refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants in Greece are highly exposed to a range of human rights abuses. Greece still does not have a fair and effective asylum system, and asylum seekers face major obstacles just to register their claims. Those unable to demonstrate that they have applied for asylum face arrest and detention or deportation as it is common practice in Greece for the police to…
December 20, 2012
Press Release
Amnesty International Calls “Corpus Christi” Prosecution “A Further Tragedy for Greece”
Amnesty International is calling on the Greek authorities to ensure freedom of expression to the organizers, producers and cast of a play called "Corpus Christi," who are reportedly facing prosecution for blasphemy.
November 16, 2012
Press Release
Greece Must Halt Mass Police Crackdown on Irregular Migrants
A large number of the 7,500 foreign nationals arrested in Athens over the last few days are reported to be of Asian, African and North African origin.
August 8, 2012
Press Release
New Greek Government Must Address Routine Police Violence
Police in Greece are responding to largely peaceful demonstrations with routine acts of violence, while Greek authorities continue to brush off the incidents.
July 3, 2012
Report
Annual Report: Greece 2011
Head of state: Karolos Papoulias Head of government: George Papandreou Death penalty: abolitionist for all crimes Population: 11.2 million Life expectancy: 79.7 years Under-5 mortality (m/f): 5/4 per 1,000 Adult literacy: 97 per cent Reports of excessive use of force and ill-treatment by law enforcement officials continued. Greece continued to lack a functioning asylum system. Substandard detention conditions at border guard stations and immigration detention centres remained a concern. Incidents of racial violence against migrants and asylum-seekers increased. Background The serious financial crisis in Greece led to the country requesting and agreeing a rescue package with the EU, the International…
July 11, 2011