Greek police frequently use unnecessary or excessive force against peaceful protesters and journalists resulting in serious physical and psychological injuries, Amnesty International said in a report published today, as it called for a ban on the use of stun grenades in the policing of protests.
Protests are not battlefields: Patterns of unlawful use of force by police and impunity in Greece finds that these deeply disturbing abuses are underpinned by protest legislation that fails to comply with international and regional standards, and a persistent culture of impunity for abuses by law enforcement officials policing demonstrations.
The right to freedom of peaceful assembly in Greece is being blatantly violated both in law and in practice
Kondylia Gogou, Amnesty International’s Regional Researcher for Europe.
“The right to freedom of peaceful assembly in Greece is being blatantly violated both in law and in practice with peaceful protesters arbitrarily detained, criminalized, and subjected to unlawful use of force at the hands of the police,” said Kondylia Gogou, Amnesty International’s Regional Researcher for Europe.
