HUMAN WRONGS WATCH

Athens – The Greek authorities are failing to tackle a rising wave of xenophobic violence that has left migrants afraid to walk the streets, says a Human Rights Watch report.

*Greece: Hate On The Streets | Human Rights Watch

The 99-page report ,“Hate on the Streets: Xenophobic Violence in Greece,”  documents the failure of the police and the judiciary to prevent and punish rising attacks on migrants.

Despite clear patterns to the violence and evidence that it is increasing, the police have failed to respond effectively to protect victims and hold perpetrators to account, Human Rights Watch found.

Authorities have yet to develop a preventive policing strategy, while victims are discouraged from filing official complaints. No one has been convicted under Greece’s 2008 hate crime statute.

“People coming from war zones are scared to go out at night in Athens for fear of being attacked,” said Judith Sunderland, senior Western Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch.