Attacks to freedom of assembly, threats and harassment against minority rights defenders by the Golden Dawn far-right party

Restrictions to freedom of association /

Harassment / Death threats

The International Secretariat of the WorldOrganisation Against Torture (OMCT) requests your urgent intervention in thefollowing situation in Greece.

Descriptionof the situation:

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by reliable sourcesabout the ongoing harassment of human rights defenders dealing with minorityrights in Greece.

According to the information received, on December 12, 2016 six parliamentariansbelonging to the Greek far-right party Golden Dawn and some of their followersviolently interrupted a Human Rights Day conference organised in the Athens JournalistUnion building by the Greek HelsinkiMonitor (GHM), along with the Party of Friendship Equality and Peace (DostlukEsitlik Baris - DEB)[1],on the topic of “National Minorities in Greece and Recommendations fromInternational Organisations”.

During the attack, the six Golden Dawn members and their followers enteredthe room shouting racist slogans and threatening the participants. Verbalabuses, death threats against the participants, particularly against DEB PartyPresident Mustafa Ali Cavus, and slogans such as “Turks are unwelcomed in Greece”have been heard during this incident.

In spite of the warning received prior to the event and their written promisesto GHM to ensure the smooth running of the conference, the Greek police did nottake any measure to protect the integrity of the participants nor to ensuretheir freedom of speech and association.

Moreover, the Greek Prosecution Offices did not take any ex officioaction following this violent and threatening action by Golden Dawn members ofthe Parliament (MPs) and the failure of police to take any action. On December21, 2016, GHM and DEB filed a complaint before the Athens Prosecutor for Racist Crimes against both the Golden Dawn MPs and theHellenic Police leadership.

The International Secretariat of OMCT recalls that the situation ofminority rights defenders in Greece has been critical for years. Human rightsdefenders dealing with this matter have been subjected to expulsions, entrybans and other forms of administrative harassment and threats[2].

The International Secretariat of OMCT expresses its deep concern for theoverall situation of minority rights defenders in Greece, as evident in theincident reported above, and urges the Greek authorities to put in place allnecessary measures to ensure their physical and psychological integrity as wellas to protect their right to freedom of expression and association in order tobe able to carry out their legitimate human rights work.

Finally, the International Secretariat of OMCT urges the Greekauthorities to promptly and effectively investigate the complaint related tothe events of December 12, 2016 and bring those responsible to justice.

Actions requested:

Please write to the authorities of Greece asking them to:

i. Put an end to all actsof harassment against all minority rights defenders in Greece;

ii. Put in place all necessary measures toguarantee the physical and psychological integrity ofminority rights defenders in Greece;

iii. Carryout an immediate, thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation into the eventsdescribed above in order to identify all those responsible, and sanction themas provided by the law;

iv. Conform with theprovisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by theGeneral Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, especially Articles1 and 12.2; and

v. More generally, ensure inall circumstances the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms inaccordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and withinternational and regional human rights instruments ratified by Greece.

Addresses:

· Prime Minister of Greece, Mr.Alexis Tsipras, Email: mail@primeminister.gr

· Minister ofJustice Mr. Stavros Kontonis Email: grammateia@justice.gov.gr

· Alternate Minister for CitizensProtection of Greece, Mr. Nikolaos Toskas, Fax: +30 210 692 9764, Email: minister@mopocp.gov.gr

. General Secretary for Transparency and HumanRights, Ms. Maria Yannakaki, Fax: Email: ggdad@justice.gov.gr

· Deputy Permanent Representative ofGreece, Mr. Ioannis Tsaousis, First Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Greece tothe United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 732 21 50; Email: grdel.gva@mfa.gr

· Ambassador of Greece, H.E. EleftheriaGalathianaki, Embassy of Greece in Brussels, Belgium, Fax: (+32) 2 545 5585,Email: gremb.bru@mfa.gr

· Permanent Representative of Greece, H.E.Papastavrou Andreas, Permanent Representation to the European Union (EU), Fax:+32 2 5515651, 5127912
Email: mea.bruxelles@rp-greece.be

Pleasealso write to the diplomatic mission or embassy of Greece in your respectivecountry.

***

Geneva,January 6, 2017

Kindly inform us of anyaction undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

[1] The Party Friendship Equality and Peace is a Greek political partyfounded in 1991 to represent the interest of the Turkish minority in Greece.

[2] See OMCT Urgent Appeal GRE 261016 issued on October 26, 2016 andOMCT Urgent Appeal GRE 181116 issued on November 18, 2016.