Athens, 24 April 2013 – The Recording Network racist violence today presented the annual report for 2012, which consists of two parts: the first concerns the quantitative and qualitative results of the recording of racist violence organizations participating in the network, after interviewed by the victims themselves. The second part focuses on the positions of the Network on the institutional framework for crimes committed with a racist motive, and recent initiatives for amendments.
According to the report, for the year 2012 recorded 154 incidents of racist violence, involving 151 foreign nationals and three Europeans (one Bulgarian citizen, one Romanian citizen and one Greek). The majority consists of physical attacks and types of crimes are mostly serious injuries and simple injuries.
In 91 cases, the victims of the attacks believe that the perpetrators linked to extremist groups, which emerges from the qualitative data recorded for the attacks (squads, with a specific mode of action, behavior and attire). In some cases the victims of the attacks or the witnesses reported that among the perpetrators recognized individuals associated with the Golden Dawn, or for wearing insignia of the organization, or because their faces are connected with the organization of public events in the area, either because they know they are members of local organizations of the party.
In many cases the victims reported the use of weapons during the attacks, such as bats, iron bars, collapsible baton, spray, chains, sidirogrothies, knives and broken bottles, and has recorded the identical use large breed dogs in group operating in the area of St . Panteleimon of Attica square.
Special category are the 25 incidents where police linked to racist violence, which unfolded in detention or during routine operations.
Regarding formal complaint to the competent authorities of the country and the initiation of criminal proceedings, only 24 victims reported that they have steps to do so while 23 will like it. The others would not want to take any further action, usually because they lack legal documents and therefore fear that will be kept to an expulsion decision. In practice, instead of the police to deal with them as possible victims of crime, display priority in controlling the legal residence of the complainant and refrain from the obligation to investigate the incident itself that the complainants.
In his intervention, the Head of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Greece, Mr. George Charmbopoulos, summed up the quantitative and qualitative data recorded by Recording Network racist violence, underlined that these recordings are only the tip of the iceberg of a significantly larger and dangerous phenomenon: “The recording then interview the victim removes course numbers but offers reliability. This data reliability constitutes the most important contribution of the Network, in the absence of a formal and efficient mechanism for recording and dealing with the phenomenon. “
The representative of the Network Working Group on legal issues, Mr. Vassilis Papastergiou presented the positions of Network on legislative initiatives to tackle racist violence, stressing that “while it has started to signs of positive response on the part of the State, is this time at least, incomplete. “ He welcomed the establishment of Offices and Departments dealing racist violence on the body of Greek Police but noted that, without the necessary guarantees concerning the selection, recruitment and ongoing training, such a key function will not be able have the efficiency required by circumstances. As critical issues that need to be directly regulated, said: a) suspend the detention and deportation of victims of racist violence or witnesses terminate in conjunction with a residence permit on humanitarian grounds, and b) take immediate legislative initiative that the commission of racially motivated crime to be included in nomotypiki substance crime and racist be investigated at each stage of the criminal process.
For his part, President of the National Commission for Human Rights, Mr. Kostis Papaioannou, stressed that “the problem of racist violence now seems to have become aware of much of the general public, but has not become conscious in the organized state. Yet the rapid reaction of the authorities to provide residence permits to victims of New Manolada proves that the constant demand for victim protection is feasible and necessary. We hope you will finally enacted a fixed regime of protection for victims of racist crime. “
“We diffusion of racist violence in public office, not just police officers. There is also interweaving In school with neo-Nazi violence. The Greek state should immediately change its stance and tackle people behind this strategy of tension, which starts stochopoiontas immigrants but does not stop there. Most always targeted those who were traditional objectives of criminal activities of neo-Nazis. “
According to him, the impression of the political system that may at any time verify the phenomenon has proved false and tends to prove and pernicious. “We practice all the political parties to demonstrate that they have decided to react surpassing any other divisive section. The interest of international monitors and the international media shows that our country is now under the microscope Joined international community accountable for continuously scalable, organized, murderous racist violence. “
Finally, the President of the Association of United Afghans Greece, Mr. Reza Gkolami, clarified that the figures are minimal compared to what is actually happening: “I still can not record them, many undocumented and are afraid to leave their home , afraid and the police and gangs. When we tell them to complain, they smile, they go and have accepted second attack by the police. Their voices do not go beyond two blocks from their home. Imagine a democracy where not dare to go out of the house. Today’s immigrants, tomorrow is the number of others. “
The event was moderated by journalist Prokopis Duke and was informative intervention of the representative of APS Claus Kerassioti and Registrar of MDM Nikitas Kanakis on recent events in New Manolada.
More information: Helen Takou, 210.7233216, racistviolence@nchr.gr
The Recording Network Incident Racist Violence was created in
October 2011 on the initiative of the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees and the National Commission for Human Rights. Participate in the network today the following non-governmental organizations and other entities that provide legal, medical, social or other support services and come in contact with victims of racist violence: Request antigen-Information and Documentation Centre, Arsis, Doctors of the World, Amnesty International, Social Network Support for Refugees and Immigrants, Greek Association for Human Rights, Greek Helsinki Monitor, Greek Council for Refugees, Greek Forum of Migrants, Greek Forum of Refugees, Hellenic Red Cross, Human Rights Committee of the Bar Association of Rhodes, Positive Voice, Medical Intervention, Day Center “Babel”, Center attendance Repatriates and Immigrants-Ecumenical Refugee Programme, Action Advocacy Rights of Refugees and Migrants / Tender Agent (Patras), World without Wars and Violence, illegal? – Solidarity Committee refugees Chios METAdrasi, Group of Lawyers for the Rights of Refugees and Migrants Legal Group for the Defense of the Rights of Refugees and Migrants (Thessaloniki), Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece (OLKE), Association of United Afghans Migrant Forum Crete, Colour Youth, i-RED Institute for Rights , Equality and Diversity, PRAKSIS, YsMedia, and the Ombudsman as an observer.
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