Amnesty Slams Greece for Violating Peaceful Assembly Rights
"The right to freedom of peaceful assembly in Greece is being blatantly violated both in law and in practice," said Kondylia Gogou, Amnesty International's regional researcher for Europe.
The report — built on interviews with more than 100 protesters, journalists, and lawyers — identifies what the organization describes as "a persistent pattern of unnecessary or excessive use of force by police during demonstrations," encompassing baton strikes on individuals already restrained, the deployment of chemical irritants, water cannons, and the dangerous misuse of stun grenades.
"The footage and testimonies we have documented reveal a pattern of dangerous deployment of stun grenades and misuse of batons and other less-lethal weapons that have caused a range of injuries, with journalists also in the firing line," Gogou said.
Beyond physical violence, Amnesty flagged what it characterized as the deliberate criminalization of dissent — with peaceful demonstrators facing criminal charges simply for participating in protests or engaging in acts of civil disobedience. Gogou warned that such tactics, compounded by a culture of police impunity, have "a chilling effect on the right to peaceful protest."
"Participating in or reporting on peaceful protests should not require people to run a gauntlet or risk life and limb," she said.
Gogou issued a pointed call to action, urging Greek authorities to "urgently reform protest laws, end abusive policing practices, protect those exercising their rights and break the cycle of impunity that has allowed these violations to continue."
She further demanded that Athens "end the disturbing pattern of unlawful use of force against protesters and journalists by the police and ban the use of stun grenades in the policing of assemblies."
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