Greece
11.10.01
Urgent Interventions
Greece: acquittal of policeman tried for beating two Roma youths
Case GRC 111001
Torture/Impunity
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 a reliable source of the dubious acquittal of a policeman known to have beaten two Roma youths during detention in Greece.
According to the information received, Apostolos Tsikrikas, the policeman who stood trial on October 8th, 2001 concerning a case in which two Roma youths - Lazaros Bekos and Eleftherios Kotropoulos - were beaten during their detention in Mesolongi police station on May 8th, 1998, has been acquitted. The Romas were 17 and 18 years old at the time of the beatings.
In July 1998, the two Romas pressed charges and, the following December, three police officers were indicted under Criminal Code Article 136A paragraph 3, section 1, for "jointly-induced bodily harm caused by a person, whose duties are the investigation of possible criminal acts, with the intent to extort from another person under his authority a confession, a deposition or an information." Following appeals from several NGOs, the Greek Police launched a Sworn Administrative Inquiry (SAI) into the matter, from which it was reportedly falsely announced in September 2000 that the SAI had concluded that, "it was not possible to reach a safe conclusion as to when and how the afore-mentioned wounds were inflicted on the arrested," and that, "two police officers of the Mesolonghi Police Station were held responsible for not preventing the ill treatment of the two arrested individuals and relevant disciplinary sanctions were imposed on them." These sanctions were made in the form of fines, reportedly only amounting to around US$100.
In the end, Mr. Tsikrikas was the only person to be tried for these beatings, as all the others involved in the incidents have managed to find ways, such as reportedly false alibis, allowing them to escape being brought to justice. It is worth noting that OMCT produced a Press Release concerning this case on October 8th, in which we wrongly stated that Mr. Tsikrikas was being tried along with another policeman also thought to have been involved in the beatings, Andreas Avgeris. The other persons accused of beating the Roma youths have all managed to avoid being brought to trial, and Mr. Tsikrikas has now been acquitted.
According to the information received, Mr. Tsikrikas, who is the Director of the Security Service at the police station, was acquitted, having been accused of "not preventing the ill treatment of the two arrested individuals," due to the fact that there was "no evidence linking him to these actions." However, a forensic report at the time of the event stated that the two Romas received "medium bodily injuries, inflicted with a broken instrument" during their detention, as a result of the beatings in question. Furthermore a subsequent Sworn Administrative Inquiry (SAI) conducted by the Greek Police, which was signed by General Efthimios Skouras, 3rd General Inspector of the Greek Police, recommended that the two officers be placed on "temporary suspension," because, "during the early hours of the 8/5/1998, they behaved with exceptional brutality towards the two young individuals," with the report then detailing the brutal beatings. These conclusions, which were leaked in September 2001, contradict those that were officially announced one year earlier, which clearly shows the efforts made to cover up the details of this incident in order to protect the policemen in question.
It appears that both the forensic report and the SAI have been completely ignored during the trial, leading to this acquittal. There is no right to appeal this decision under Greek law. Furthermore, Mr. Tsikrikas has reportedly threatened to sue the Romas for perjury.
OMCT is gravely concerned about the enjoyed by perpetrators of beatings that amount to torture in Greece. OMCT also urges the Greek Government to ensure that the two Romas in question receive reparation, based on the evidence presented in the SAI, which clearly stated that members of the Greek Police performed brutal acts upon the two youths.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Greece urging them to:
i. guarantee adequate reparation to the two Romas;
ii. put an immediate end to the persecution and harassment of the these two persons and, more generally, all Romas in Greece;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
· Mr. Costas Simitis Prime Minister, Maximou, Athens, Greece, Fax: +30 1 7241776, email: mail@primeminister.gr
· Mr. George Papandreou, Foreign Minister, Athens, Greece Fax: +30 1 36 81 433, E-mail: gpap@mfa.gr
· Mr. Dimitris Reppas, Minister of Press and Information, Athens, Greece Fax: +30 1 36 06 969
· Professor Mihalis Stathopoulos, Minister of Justice, Athens, Greece Fax : +30 1 77 55 835
· Mr. Mihalis Hrysohoidis, Minister of Public Order, Athens, Greece, Fax: + 30 1 6917944
Please also write to the embassies of Greece in your respective country.
Geneva, October 11, 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Torture/Impunity
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 a reliable source of the dubious acquittal of a policeman known to have beaten two Roma youths during detention in Greece.
According to the information received, Apostolos Tsikrikas, the policeman who stood trial on October 8th, 2001 concerning a case in which two Roma youths - Lazaros Bekos and Eleftherios Kotropoulos - were beaten during their detention in Mesolongi police station on May 8th, 1998, has been acquitted. The Romas were 17 and 18 years old at the time of the beatings.
In July 1998, the two Romas pressed charges and, the following December, three police officers were indicted under Criminal Code Article 136A paragraph 3, section 1, for "jointly-induced bodily harm caused by a person, whose duties are the investigation of possible criminal acts, with the intent to extort from another person under his authority a confession, a deposition or an information." Following appeals from several NGOs, the Greek Police launched a Sworn Administrative Inquiry (SAI) into the matter, from which it was reportedly falsely announced in September 2000 that the SAI had concluded that, "it was not possible to reach a safe conclusion as to when and how the afore-mentioned wounds were inflicted on the arrested," and that, "two police officers of the Mesolonghi Police Station were held responsible for not preventing the ill treatment of the two arrested individuals and relevant disciplinary sanctions were imposed on them." These sanctions were made in the form of fines, reportedly only amounting to around US$100.
In the end, Mr. Tsikrikas was the only person to be tried for these beatings, as all the others involved in the incidents have managed to find ways, such as reportedly false alibis, allowing them to escape being brought to justice. It is worth noting that OMCT produced a Press Release concerning this case on October 8th, in which we wrongly stated that Mr. Tsikrikas was being tried along with another policeman also thought to have been involved in the beatings, Andreas Avgeris. The other persons accused of beating the Roma youths have all managed to avoid being brought to trial, and Mr. Tsikrikas has now been acquitted.
According to the information received, Mr. Tsikrikas, who is the Director of the Security Service at the police station, was acquitted, having been accused of "not preventing the ill treatment of the two arrested individuals," due to the fact that there was "no evidence linking him to these actions." However, a forensic report at the time of the event stated that the two Romas received "medium bodily injuries, inflicted with a broken instrument" during their detention, as a result of the beatings in question. Furthermore a subsequent Sworn Administrative Inquiry (SAI) conducted by the Greek Police, which was signed by General Efthimios Skouras, 3rd General Inspector of the Greek Police, recommended that the two officers be placed on "temporary suspension," because, "during the early hours of the 8/5/1998, they behaved with exceptional brutality towards the two young individuals," with the report then detailing the brutal beatings. These conclusions, which were leaked in September 2001, contradict those that were officially announced one year earlier, which clearly shows the efforts made to cover up the details of this incident in order to protect the policemen in question.
It appears that both the forensic report and the SAI have been completely ignored during the trial, leading to this acquittal. There is no right to appeal this decision under Greek law. Furthermore, Mr. Tsikrikas has reportedly threatened to sue the Romas for perjury.
OMCT is gravely concerned about the enjoyed by perpetrators of beatings that amount to torture in Greece. OMCT also urges the Greek Government to ensure that the two Romas in question receive reparation, based on the evidence presented in the SAI, which clearly stated that members of the Greek Police performed brutal acts upon the two youths.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Greece urging them to:
i. guarantee adequate reparation to the two Romas;
ii. put an immediate end to the persecution and harassment of the these two persons and, more generally, all Romas in Greece;
iii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
· Mr. Costas Simitis Prime Minister, Maximou, Athens, Greece, Fax: +30 1 7241776, email: mail@primeminister.gr
· Mr. George Papandreou, Foreign Minister, Athens, Greece Fax: +30 1 36 81 433, E-mail: gpap@mfa.gr
· Mr. Dimitris Reppas, Minister of Press and Information, Athens, Greece Fax: +30 1 36 06 969
· Professor Mihalis Stathopoulos, Minister of Justice, Athens, Greece Fax : +30 1 77 55 835
· Mr. Mihalis Hrysohoidis, Minister of Public Order, Athens, Greece, Fax: + 30 1 6917944
Please also write to the embassies of Greece in your respective country.
Geneva, October 11, 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.