Ongoing acts of harassment against Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM)

Greece: Ongoing acts of harassment against GHM(Case GRE 040408.3 - Follow up of Case GRE 040408 - Human rights defenders: Judicial proceedings / Harassment) Geneva,21 September 2010 The International Secretariat of the WorldOrganisation Against Torture (OMCT) has received new information and requestsyour intervention in the following situation in Greece. New information: The InternationalSecretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Greek Helsinki Monitor(GHM), a memberof OMCT SOS-Torture network, about new developments in the acts of harassmentagainst GHM and activists who filed criminal actions against Greece’s neo-Nazis.Accordingto the information received, on September 22, 2010, Ms. Anna Stai, Ms.Rena Koutelou and Mr. Lambis Katsiapis, members of the Greek non-governmental organisation Antinazi Initiative(Antinazistiki Protovoulia), will be tried before the Appeals Court of Athens fordissemination of false information through the press following a complaint byMr. Kostas Plevris, authorof the book “The Jews: The Whole Truth”. According to the indictment, in aposter they published on 14 January 2009 and an announcement on their websitepublished on 28 January 2009, the defendants claimed that Kostas Plevris is supportedby anti-Semitic prosecutors and judges, who constitute a “fascist network” inthe judicial system. Furthermore, on January 24, 2011, Ms. AndreaGilbert, Mr. Panayote Dimitras, respectively GHM's specialist onanti-Semitism and Spokeperson and Messrs. Benjamin Albalas, Leon Gavrilidis,Moisis Konstantinis, and Avraam Reitan, members of the Central Board ofJewish Communities in Greece (Kentriko Israilitiko Symvoulio - KIS), will betried before the 6th Misdemanors Court of Athens, for falseaccusations, perjury and aggravated defamation against Kostas Plevris,following a complaint he filed in 2007.[1] The InternationalSecretariat of OMCT expresses its deep concern about this judicial harassment against these human rights defenders, which seems tomerely aim at sanctioning their human rights activities, in particular theiractivities against discrimination and anti-Semitism in Greece. The InternationalSecretariat of OMCT also recalls thataccording to Article 12.2 of the United Nations Declaration on Human RightsDefenders, adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, “the Stateshall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competentauthorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, againstany violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination,pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or herlegitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”.Background information:Mr. Panayote Dimitras, testified at a trial againstthe extreme-right newspaper Eleftheros Kosmos, which had published articles onOctober 27, 2006 in conjunction of the anti-Semitic book by Mr. Plevris, The Jews - The whole truth (May 2006).During Mr. Dimitras' testimony, Mr. Plevris and his lawyer verbally attackedthe witness. As soon as the testimony was finished, Mr. Dimitras was furtherattacked by a journalist at the State television channel. The presiding judgedid not order the arrest of the assailant for disruption of court proceedings, On December 13, 2007, the Second Three-MemberAppeals Court of Athens convicted Mr. Plevris to a suspended prison sentence of14 months for "incitation to racial violence and hatred and for racialinsults". Since the end of the trial, Mr. Dimitras has been threatenedthrough messages posted on the Internet forum of the LAOS youth organisation.Furthermore, Mr. Plevris has launchedseveral legal actions for defamation including racist and defamatory commentsagainst Mr. Dimitras, Ms. Gilbert, and Messrs. Moses Konstantinis, BenjaminAlbala, Abraham Reitan and Leon Gavriilidis, who had all testified against him.On 27 March 2009, an Athens Five-Member Appeals Courtacquitted Mr Plevris, reversing the December 2007 judgment. On 15 April 2010,the Supreme Court rejected a motion for cassation upholding the acquittal. Actions required: Please write to the Greek authorities, urging them to:

1. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical andpsychological integrity of Ms. Anna Stai, Ms. Rena Koutelou and Mr. LambisKatsiapis,Mr. Panayote Dimitras, Ms. Andrea Gilbert, and Messrs. Benjamin Albalas, Leon Gavrilidis,Moisis Konstantinis, and Avraam Reitan;
2. Put an end to all acts harassment, including at thejudicial level, against Ms. Anna Stai, Ms. Rena Koutelou and Mr. LambisKatsiapis,Mr. Panayote Dimitras, Ms. Andrea Gilbert, and Messrs. Benjamin Albalas, Leon Gavrilidis,Moisis Konstantinis, and Avraam Reitan, as well as all human rights defenders inGreece;
3. Conformwith the provisionsof the UN Declaration on HumanRights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly on December 9, 1998, especially its Article 1,which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association withothers, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights andfundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, as well asabove-mentioned Article 12.2;
4. Moregenerally, ensure in all circumstances the respect for human rights and fundamentalfreedoms in accordance with internationaland regional human rights instruments ratified by Greece.

Addresses:

• Mr. George Α. Papandreou, Prime Minister, PrimeMinister’s Office at the Hellenic Parliament, Greek Parliament Blgd,Constitution Square, Athens, Greece. Fax:+30 210 6715799, Email: pressoffice@primeminister.gr
• Mr. Dimitris Droutsas, Foreign Minister, Athens, Greece, Fax: + 30210 3681433, Email: gpap@mfa.gr
• Mr. Charalampos Kastanidis, Ministerof Justice, Transparency and Human Rights, Athens, Greece, Fax +30 2107489231, E-mail: minjust@justice.gr
• Mr. Yorgos Kaminis, Ombudsman for Human Rights, Fax :+30 210 7289643
• H.E. George J. Kaklikis, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations in Geneva, Rue du Léman 4, 1201Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 732.21.50, Email: missionofgreece@bluewin.chor grdel.gva@mfa.gr
• Diplomatic Mission of Greece to the European Union, 25rue Montoyer, 1000 Brussels, Belgium, Fax: + 32 2 512 79 12 / + 32 2 551 56 51.

Please also write to the embassies of Greece inyour respective country. ***Geneva, September 21, 2010 Kindly inform us of any action undertakenquoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
[1] See OMCT Press release, 3September 2008, “Greece: Ongoing acts of harassmentagainst GHM-Case GRE 040408.1 - Follow up of Case GRE 040408”.