Greece
07.01.02
Urgent Interventions
Greece: Mr. Joseph Emeka Okeke, a Nigerian deportee, has been subjected to torture including electric shocks
Case GRC 010702
Torture / Threats and harassment
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, a member of the OMCT network, that Mr. Joseph Emeka Okeke, a Nigerian deportee being detained by the Alien’s Department of NorthEast Attica, was subjected to torture including electric shocks, in Greece.
According to the information received, at 4 a.m. on June 25th, 2002, Mr. Okeke was roughly awakened by 3 policemen. They announced his release, so he therefore suggested being allowed to call his wife. However, when Mr. Okeke tried to insert his phone card in the phone, the policemen reportedly grabbed him and started kicking him and beating him with a large rectangular black object that had two claw-like extensions that reportedly transmitted electric shocks. One of Mr. Okeke’s fellow-inmates, who witnessed the event, called Mr. Okeke’s wife with his mobile phone, who arrived soon afterwards in a taxi. When she demanded to see her husband, the policemen refused. They reportedly then pushed her out of the building and accused her of wanting to attract attention and “disgrace the Hellenic Police Force”.
According to the information received, the policemen put Mr. Okeke in a car and tied both his hands and feet and then took him to Eleftherios Veniyelos Airport, where he was put on an AlItalia flight which was scheduled for departure at 6.30 a.m. Due to protests by the Alitalia stewardesses, notably concerning the fact that Mr. Okeke’s feet and hands were tied and handcuffed respectively and that the police trying to to tape his mouth shut, he was taken off the aircraft. According to the report, he was then taken to the Pallini Police Department, where he was reportedly told to face the wall and and kneel down. A policeman then kicked him hard in the ribs and continued to beat him until another policeman arrived and told him to stop. Mr. Okeke was then transferred to the General Police Directorate of Attica (GADA) detention centre.
According to the report, the use of electric shocks has not been reported in Greece since 1993. In a report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading or Punishment (CPT) following their visit to Greece between March 14th until Match 26th, 1993, it was noted that there were a significant number of allegations of rough treatment and the use of torture, including that of a hand held device which produces electric shocks. The types of injuries and marks produced by these shocks were also described in the report. Mr. Okeke still bears such traces on his arms, wrists and lips from the beatings and torture to which he was subjected.
According to the information received, Mr. Okeke reportedly has several witnesses of the ill-treatment and torture to which he was subjected, including fellow-detainees and the Alitalia personnel. The police allegedly attempted to deport him without previously informing him or his wife, and this just days before the legal application for the abrogation of his judicial deportation and a trial for a false passport were scheduled to be held. Mr. Okeke’s delicto trial for “resistance against the authorities” on June 27th, 2002, has reportedly been postponed until July 10th, 2002, in order to allow time to subpoena the aforementioned witnesses.
According to the information received, Mr. Okeke filed a complaint against the treatment he had received. The Minister of Public Order, Mr. Michalis Chrysochoidis, has ordered a Sworn Administrative Inquiry (EDE) be carried out by a high-ranking officer to investigate these allegations and that a medical examination of Mr. Okeke would be carried out by two forensic surgeons on June 27th, 2002.
According to the report however, the police officers that allegedly perpetrated these human rights violations have reportedly threatened Mr. Okeke. Mr. Okeke has informed his lawyer that between 10 pm on June 27th 2002 and 4 am the next day, the officers from Pallini Police Department reportedly removed Mr. Okeke from his cell at the GADA detention facilities and took him to the 10th floor, where he was to be examined by the forensic doctors. In addition to this, however, he was reportedly subjected to several hours of interrogation and intimidation, without the presence of his lawyer, by three plainclothes policemen, who were joined by Officer Papasotiriou at around 1 am in the morning of June 28th, 2002. A translator was reportedly also present throughout this interrogation period. Mr. Okeke was questioned about his past and was told that he would regret having filed the complaint. Mr. Okeke was then allegedly forced to sign a document that he did not understand, as it was in Greek and was not translated for him, and was then transferred to a single cell where he was denied access to a telephone. According to the information received, Mr. Okeke is still being held at the GADA.
According to the information received, Mr. Rotimi Alakia, an asylum seeker from Sierra Leone that witnessed the alleged torture of Mr. Okeke has also been threatened and harassed by police officers, in order to ensure that he does not testify during the Sworn Administrative Inquiry (EDE) or in court.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT is gravely concerned about the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Joseph Emeka Okeke and Mr. Rotimi Alakia, given the threats that have been proffered against them, and calls for them to be transferred as a matter of urgency to holding centres where their protection can be guaranteed. OMCT fears that even though the perpetrators of this attack are known, they will continue to enjoy impunity, and therefore calls for these officers to be removed from their duties and brought to justice. OMCT also fears that Mr. Okeke will not be granted adequate reparation for the injuries inflicted upon him. More generally, OMCT is gravely concerned about the Greek Police’s use of excessive force and beatings, which amount to torture, and notably the alleged use of electric shocks.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Greece urging them to:
i. take all measures necessary to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Joseph Emeka Okeke and Mr. Rotimi Alakia;
ii. put an immediate end to the harassment and threats to which they are being subjected;
iii. order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
ii. guarantee adequate reparation to Mr. Okeke;
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
· 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 10 775 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 69 17 944
Please also write to the embassies of Greece in your respective country.
Geneva, July 1st , 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Torture / Threats and harassment
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, a member of the OMCT network, that Mr. Joseph Emeka Okeke, a Nigerian deportee being detained by the Alien’s Department of NorthEast Attica, was subjected to torture including electric shocks, in Greece.
According to the information received, at 4 a.m. on June 25th, 2002, Mr. Okeke was roughly awakened by 3 policemen. They announced his release, so he therefore suggested being allowed to call his wife. However, when Mr. Okeke tried to insert his phone card in the phone, the policemen reportedly grabbed him and started kicking him and beating him with a large rectangular black object that had two claw-like extensions that reportedly transmitted electric shocks. One of Mr. Okeke’s fellow-inmates, who witnessed the event, called Mr. Okeke’s wife with his mobile phone, who arrived soon afterwards in a taxi. When she demanded to see her husband, the policemen refused. They reportedly then pushed her out of the building and accused her of wanting to attract attention and “disgrace the Hellenic Police Force”.
According to the information received, the policemen put Mr. Okeke in a car and tied both his hands and feet and then took him to Eleftherios Veniyelos Airport, where he was put on an AlItalia flight which was scheduled for departure at 6.30 a.m. Due to protests by the Alitalia stewardesses, notably concerning the fact that Mr. Okeke’s feet and hands were tied and handcuffed respectively and that the police trying to to tape his mouth shut, he was taken off the aircraft. According to the report, he was then taken to the Pallini Police Department, where he was reportedly told to face the wall and and kneel down. A policeman then kicked him hard in the ribs and continued to beat him until another policeman arrived and told him to stop. Mr. Okeke was then transferred to the General Police Directorate of Attica (GADA) detention centre.
According to the report, the use of electric shocks has not been reported in Greece since 1993. In a report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading or Punishment (CPT) following their visit to Greece between March 14th until Match 26th, 1993, it was noted that there were a significant number of allegations of rough treatment and the use of torture, including that of a hand held device which produces electric shocks. The types of injuries and marks produced by these shocks were also described in the report. Mr. Okeke still bears such traces on his arms, wrists and lips from the beatings and torture to which he was subjected.
According to the information received, Mr. Okeke reportedly has several witnesses of the ill-treatment and torture to which he was subjected, including fellow-detainees and the Alitalia personnel. The police allegedly attempted to deport him without previously informing him or his wife, and this just days before the legal application for the abrogation of his judicial deportation and a trial for a false passport were scheduled to be held. Mr. Okeke’s delicto trial for “resistance against the authorities” on June 27th, 2002, has reportedly been postponed until July 10th, 2002, in order to allow time to subpoena the aforementioned witnesses.
According to the information received, Mr. Okeke filed a complaint against the treatment he had received. The Minister of Public Order, Mr. Michalis Chrysochoidis, has ordered a Sworn Administrative Inquiry (EDE) be carried out by a high-ranking officer to investigate these allegations and that a medical examination of Mr. Okeke would be carried out by two forensic surgeons on June 27th, 2002.
According to the report however, the police officers that allegedly perpetrated these human rights violations have reportedly threatened Mr. Okeke. Mr. Okeke has informed his lawyer that between 10 pm on June 27th 2002 and 4 am the next day, the officers from Pallini Police Department reportedly removed Mr. Okeke from his cell at the GADA detention facilities and took him to the 10th floor, where he was to be examined by the forensic doctors. In addition to this, however, he was reportedly subjected to several hours of interrogation and intimidation, without the presence of his lawyer, by three plainclothes policemen, who were joined by Officer Papasotiriou at around 1 am in the morning of June 28th, 2002. A translator was reportedly also present throughout this interrogation period. Mr. Okeke was questioned about his past and was told that he would regret having filed the complaint. Mr. Okeke was then allegedly forced to sign a document that he did not understand, as it was in Greek and was not translated for him, and was then transferred to a single cell where he was denied access to a telephone. According to the information received, Mr. Okeke is still being held at the GADA.
According to the information received, Mr. Rotimi Alakia, an asylum seeker from Sierra Leone that witnessed the alleged torture of Mr. Okeke has also been threatened and harassed by police officers, in order to ensure that he does not testify during the Sworn Administrative Inquiry (EDE) or in court.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT is gravely concerned about the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Joseph Emeka Okeke and Mr. Rotimi Alakia, given the threats that have been proffered against them, and calls for them to be transferred as a matter of urgency to holding centres where their protection can be guaranteed. OMCT fears that even though the perpetrators of this attack are known, they will continue to enjoy impunity, and therefore calls for these officers to be removed from their duties and brought to justice. OMCT also fears that Mr. Okeke will not be granted adequate reparation for the injuries inflicted upon him. More generally, OMCT is gravely concerned about the Greek Police’s use of excessive force and beatings, which amount to torture, and notably the alleged use of electric shocks.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Greece urging them to:
i. take all measures necessary to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Joseph Emeka Okeke and Mr. Rotimi Alakia;
ii. put an immediate end to the harassment and threats to which they are being subjected;
iii. order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
ii. guarantee adequate reparation to Mr. Okeke;
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
· 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 10 775 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 69 17 944
Please also write to the embassies of Greece in your respective country.
Geneva, July 1st , 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.