Criminal proceedings were brought against 21 Coast Guard officers for the shipwreck in Pylos in 2023. An illegal three-month suspension of access to asylum for people arriving in Greece via North Africa was imposed, which discriminates against them, resulting in mass detention in inappropriate conditions. A new law on the return of third-country nationals negatively affected their rights.
A criminal trial began against 24 aid workers who had provided assistance to people in distress at sea. Reports of unjustified and excessive use of force against peaceful protesters continued. A controversial blanket ban on demonstrations outside the parliament building was introduced. Legislation aimed at combating gender-based violence was heavily criticised for its failure to prioritise support for victims and prevention. Four executives of companies linked to the Predator spyware scandal were brought to trial. Reports of attacks against members of the LGBTQI community continued. More than a quarter of the country’s population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
General context
Mass protests demanding justice and accountability for the victims, survivors and their families followed the devastating Tempe train crash of 2023, which killed 57 people. In February, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the tragedy was the result of a combination of human error, poor infrastructure and systemic failures in rail safety management.
Between June and August, amid a severe heat wave that was likely exacerbated by climate change, large forest fires destroyed tens of thousands of hectares of land, claimed the life of one man and caused damage to homes and basic infrastructure in areas such as Crete, Chios, Attica and Achaia.
Rights of refugees and immigrants
In a landmark ruling in January, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found “strong indications” of systematic illegal push-backs at the land border with Turkey in 2019. More push-back cases remained pending before the Court. NGOs expressed concern that, despite the opening of over 200 domestic investigations into allegations of push-backs between 2019 and 2024, none resulted in charges against officials.
In May, the Maritime Court prosecutor concluded the preliminary investigation into the role of the Coast Guard in the 2023 Pylos shipwreck, in which more than 600 people lost their lives, bringing criminal charges against 17 officers and referring them for further questioning. In November, a Court of Appeal prosecutor brought criminal charges against four additional senior Coast Guard officers. The defendants included the crew and captain of the patrol boat that, according to survivors, caused the fishing boat to capsize while attempting to tow it, as well as the captain and former captain of the Coast Guard.
In October, the ECHR issued a ruling in a case related to a fatal 2018 shipwreck, condemning Greece for violations of the right to life due to deficiencies in both the rescue operations and the investigation into the incident.
In June, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe suspended its monitoring of the implementation of the landmark ECtHR judgment, MSS v. Greece, which concerned deficiencies in asylum procedures and the living conditions of asylum seekers. Despite reports from the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, the UN and NGOs documenting continuing deficiencies, the Committee found the progress made by the Greek authorities in complying with the Convention satisfactory.
Just one month later, a legislative amendment provided for an unlawful and discriminatory three-month suspension of asylum applications by people arriving on the islands of Crete and Gavdos via North Africa, while allowing for their forced return to their country of origin or transit. The ECtHR issued interim measures of judicial protection in two cases involving individuals from Sudan and Eritrea affected by this measure, ordering Greece to refrain from removing them as long as the registration of their asylum applications remained suspended.
Those subject to the new provisions were largely held in facilities across Greece, in some cases in inadequate conditions. The European Commission failed to use its available tools to ensure Greece complies with its human rights obligations.
Throughout the year, asylum seekers residing in EU-funded Closed Controlled Facilities (CCFs) on the Aegean islands continued to be subjected to “restrictions on liberty” amounting to unlawful detention. In February, the ECtHR issued interim measures of judicial protection to protect children in the “safe zone” of the CCF on Samos and to ensure their relocation.
In September, the Parliament passed a new law on the return of third-country nationals, which reduced their protection, in some respects in violation of existing law and EU standards, and signalled a punitive direction in the country’s migration policy. The law criminalised irregular stay, broadened the penalties associated with irregular entry and exit, extended the duration of detention beyond the limits of EU law and introduced electronic monitoring as a measure to prevent absconding. This law was inspired by, and followed, a widely criticised proposal by the European Commission on returns, published in March and still not binding at the end of the year.
In March, the Council of State annulled the decision designating Turkey as a safe third country, following a 2024 ruling by the Court of Justice of the EU on the compatibility of such designations with EU law when the country in question has suspended readmissions. Turkey had suspended readmissions since 2020. NGOs expressed concern that a new ministerial decision issued in April effectively reinstated Turkey’s designation as a safe third country.
Human Rights Defenders
In June, an Athens court acquitted human rights defender Alexia Tsouni of charges, including defamation, which appeared to have been brought in response to her anti-racist work and activism on behalf of refugees.
In December, a felony trial began against 24 humanitarian workers, including Irish human rights defender Sean Binder, who rescued and treated refugees and migrants on the island of Lesbos. The charges included migrant smuggling and carried sentences of up to 20 years in prison. In the same month, a legislative proposal introduced membership in a registered NGO as an aggravating factor in migrant smuggling cases.
Right to life
In June, a police officer was found guilty of the fatal shooting of Kostas Fragoulis, a 16-year-old Roma boy who was killed during a police chase in Thessaloniki in 2022.
Right to peaceful assembly
According to reports, police used disproportionate and excessive force against protesters and photojournalists during protests, including those over the Tempe train crash and demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians. There were also reports of peaceful protesters being taken to police stations for identification before and after demonstrations. In July, authorities misused anti-racism legislation to arrest some protesters demonstrating in solidarity with Palestinians in Rhodes.
In October, Parliament introduced a general ban on demonstrations in parts of Syntagma Square in Athens, in front of the parliament building, under the pretext of protecting the monument to the Unknown Soldier.
Concerns about long-term impunity remained, although some law enforcement officials were brought to trial for human rights violations against protesters.
In February, three police officers were found guilty of causing “dangerous bodily harm” to Vasilios Maggos outside the Volos courthouse in 2020. Vasilios Maggos had reported being mistreated during his arrest and detention and died a few weeks later. In November, six police officers were brought to trial on charges of torture, “dangerous bodily harm,” exposure to danger, and arbitrary detention in connection with the case.
In August, two senior police officers were put on trial for unlawfully obstructing a lawful demonstration and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm against at least 10 lawyers who participated in a demonstration in March 2021.
Right to privacy
In September, four executives from two companies linked to the Predator spyware scandal were tried on misdemeanor charges of violating communications privacy laws. The trial was ongoing at year's end.
Violence against women and girls
In January, a law aimed at combating gender-based violence by criminalizing new forms of violence, such as online harassment and revenge pornography, was criticized by women's rights organizations for its emphasis on harsher penalties rather than prevention and support for victims.
Lawyers, activists and women's rights organizations continued to express concerns about the impact of the implementation of the 2021 "joint custody" legislation on women and children who have survived gender-based violence.
Rights of LGBTQI people
Reports of attacks against members of the LGBTQI community continued.
In April, Parliament passed legislation that effectively excludes same-sex male couples and single men from accessing surrogacy.
Economic, social and cultural rights
A report by the Hellenic Network for Combating Poverty in October showed that 26,9% of the country's population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion and that child poverty remained high at 22,4%.
A controversial bill passed in October allowed some private sector workers to voluntarily work 13 hours a day for up to 37,5 days a year. The law was criticized by labor unions and opposition parties and sparked nationwide strikes and demonstrations.
Conscientious objection rights
In December, concerns were raised about a draft law introducing amendments to the armed forces legislation, as it failed to recognise the right to conscientious objection to military service in line with international human rights standards: alternative community service remained punitive and discriminatory, while the assessment of applications for recognition of conscientious objection status was not yet fully under the control of political authorities.
Right to a healthy environment
In November, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) pointed out that Greece's hydrocarbon extraction agreements with major oil companies and its long-term commitment to import liquefied natural gas from the US will lead to decades of dependence on fossil fuels, environmental risks and economic degradation.
Read the full Amnesty International annual report on the state of human rights in the world here.
Although the press releases will range from very select to rare, I said I'd pass...because sometimes the editors hide.
