Greece
19.02.02
Urgent Interventions
Greece: Violent Attack and Destruction of Roma Settlement
ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS CONCERN
Case GRE 190202. ESCRC
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Greece.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed, by the Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM), of an arson attack that destroyed the Roma settlement located in the area of “Gerambella”, at the outskirts of the city of Pyrgos.
According to the information received, on February the 8th or 9th 2002, at around noon, “unknown individuals” entered the Romani settlement and burned the sheds to the ground. Reportedly, all of the Roma were working at the time the incident took place and no one was at the settlement.
It is also reported that the Pyrgos Police Department was contacted by the aforementioned source on February 13th and the officer in command was asked whether the police had been informed of the incident and if so, whether they were planning to launch any investigation. The officer responded that they knew only what they had read in the local newspapers and that there was nothing for them to do as the Municipality had already initiated some measures, though he did not specify which or what kind of measures.
Moreover, on February 14th, the Pyrgos Fire Brigade was contacted by the GHM, asking to be informed whether it had received any calls to put out a fire in the “Gerambella” location, to which the Fire Brigade answered negatively.
Background Information
About ten families have been living in the “Gerambella” location for the past two years.
On July 2nd, 2001, the Pyrgos Municipal Council convened, following a request of the non-Roma residents of the “Gerambella” area. They were demanding that the Roma be evicted from the aforementioned location. The Municipal Council agreed with the residents’ request and called upon the Prefecture authorities to proceed to relocate the settlement.
Since that meeting and over the past seven months, the competent authorities have been discussing about a possible relocation of the Roma families living in the “Gerambella” area.
It should be reminded that the Romani settlement of “Gerambella” has been at the centre of attention of local residents and authorities for quite some time. Indeed, the non-Roma residents of the area have been complaining about the settlement, arguing that it constitutes a health hazard and that the Roma engage in drug dealing. When speaking to a journalist of the Elefthootrypia daily (in an article published on Feb 14, 2002), municipal counsellor Athanasios Sepetas confirmed those beliefs of the non-Roma residents and added that Pyrgos Municipality was planning to seek permission from the state agency owing the land to fence it, so that Roma would not resettle there.
In fact, on February 13th, 2002, a bulldozer belonging to the municipality arrived at the settlement late in the evening with the objective to clear the place up but the Roma stopped it on its tracks and eventually the bulldozer and its crew had to leave.
Illegal eviction of the Roma and demolition of their homes are in clear violation of international human rights commitment freely undertaken by Greece. Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which forms a part of the International Bill of Rights and has been ratified by Greece, guarantees the right to adequate housing. The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which monitors compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, made it clear in the its General Comment No. 4 that the right to adequate housing should be seen as “the right to live somewhere in security, peace and dignity”, entailing, inter alia, “a degree of security of tenure which guarantees legal protection against forced evictions, harassment and other threats”.
Moreover, the European Court on human Rights, in its judgement Selçuk and Asker vs. Turkey, found that the destruction of the applicants’ homes and their eviction from their village constituted a form of ill-treatment, in violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Action Requested
Please write to the Greek authorities urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the Romani families living in the “Gerambella” location;
ii. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of the arson attack
to the aforementioned settlement, identify those responsible, bring them before a competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law and compensate the victims;
iii. guarantee respect for the economic, social and cultural rights throughout the country and in particular the right to adequate housing, in light of General Comment No. 4 of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedom in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Addresses
· Constantine Simitis, Prime Minister, Prime Minister’s Office at the Hellenic Parliament, Greek Parliament Blgd, Constitution Square, Athens / Greece, Fax: +30 10 724 17 76, Email: Mail@primeminister.gr
· Constantine Skandalidis, Minister of Interior, Ministry of Interior, Stadiou 27 str, Athens 101 83 / Greece, Fax: +30 10 323 32 18
· Filippos Petsalnikos, Minister of Justice, Ministry of Justice, Mesogeion 96, Athens 115 27 / Greece, Fax: +30 1 775 58 35
· George Papandreou, Foreign Minister Athens, Fax: 30 10 36 81 433, Email: gpap@mfa.gr
· Christos Protopappas, Minister of Press and Information, Athens, Greece Fax: +30 10 36 06 969
· Mr. Mihalis Hrysohoidis, Minister of Public Order, Athens, Greece, Fax: + 30 10 6917944
Geneva, February 19th 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply
Case GRE 190202. ESCRC
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Greece.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed, by the Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM), of an arson attack that destroyed the Roma settlement located in the area of “Gerambella”, at the outskirts of the city of Pyrgos.
According to the information received, on February the 8th or 9th 2002, at around noon, “unknown individuals” entered the Romani settlement and burned the sheds to the ground. Reportedly, all of the Roma were working at the time the incident took place and no one was at the settlement.
It is also reported that the Pyrgos Police Department was contacted by the aforementioned source on February 13th and the officer in command was asked whether the police had been informed of the incident and if so, whether they were planning to launch any investigation. The officer responded that they knew only what they had read in the local newspapers and that there was nothing for them to do as the Municipality had already initiated some measures, though he did not specify which or what kind of measures.
Moreover, on February 14th, the Pyrgos Fire Brigade was contacted by the GHM, asking to be informed whether it had received any calls to put out a fire in the “Gerambella” location, to which the Fire Brigade answered negatively.
Background Information
About ten families have been living in the “Gerambella” location for the past two years.
On July 2nd, 2001, the Pyrgos Municipal Council convened, following a request of the non-Roma residents of the “Gerambella” area. They were demanding that the Roma be evicted from the aforementioned location. The Municipal Council agreed with the residents’ request and called upon the Prefecture authorities to proceed to relocate the settlement.
Since that meeting and over the past seven months, the competent authorities have been discussing about a possible relocation of the Roma families living in the “Gerambella” area.
It should be reminded that the Romani settlement of “Gerambella” has been at the centre of attention of local residents and authorities for quite some time. Indeed, the non-Roma residents of the area have been complaining about the settlement, arguing that it constitutes a health hazard and that the Roma engage in drug dealing. When speaking to a journalist of the Elefthootrypia daily (in an article published on Feb 14, 2002), municipal counsellor Athanasios Sepetas confirmed those beliefs of the non-Roma residents and added that Pyrgos Municipality was planning to seek permission from the state agency owing the land to fence it, so that Roma would not resettle there.
In fact, on February 13th, 2002, a bulldozer belonging to the municipality arrived at the settlement late in the evening with the objective to clear the place up but the Roma stopped it on its tracks and eventually the bulldozer and its crew had to leave.
Illegal eviction of the Roma and demolition of their homes are in clear violation of international human rights commitment freely undertaken by Greece. Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which forms a part of the International Bill of Rights and has been ratified by Greece, guarantees the right to adequate housing. The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which monitors compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, made it clear in the its General Comment No. 4 that the right to adequate housing should be seen as “the right to live somewhere in security, peace and dignity”, entailing, inter alia, “a degree of security of tenure which guarantees legal protection against forced evictions, harassment and other threats”.
Moreover, the European Court on human Rights, in its judgement Selçuk and Asker vs. Turkey, found that the destruction of the applicants’ homes and their eviction from their village constituted a form of ill-treatment, in violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Action Requested
Please write to the Greek authorities urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the Romani families living in the “Gerambella” location;
ii. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of the arson attack
to the aforementioned settlement, identify those responsible, bring them before a competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law and compensate the victims;
iii. guarantee respect for the economic, social and cultural rights throughout the country and in particular the right to adequate housing, in light of General Comment No. 4 of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedom in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Addresses
· Constantine Simitis, Prime Minister, Prime Minister’s Office at the Hellenic Parliament, Greek Parliament Blgd, Constitution Square, Athens / Greece, Fax: +30 10 724 17 76, Email: Mail@primeminister.gr
· Constantine Skandalidis, Minister of Interior, Ministry of Interior, Stadiou 27 str, Athens 101 83 / Greece, Fax: +30 10 323 32 18
· Filippos Petsalnikos, Minister of Justice, Ministry of Justice, Mesogeion 96, Athens 115 27 / Greece, Fax: +30 1 775 58 35
· George Papandreou, Foreign Minister Athens, Fax: 30 10 36 81 433, Email: gpap@mfa.gr
· Christos Protopappas, Minister of Press and Information, Athens, Greece Fax: +30 10 36 06 969
· Mr. Mihalis Hrysohoidis, Minister of Public Order, Athens, Greece, Fax: + 30 10 6917944
Geneva, February 19th 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply