Derechos de las personas migrantes / personas refugiadas y desplazados internos – The Observatory For Defenders https://observatoryfordefenders.org/es/ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:18:59 +0000 es-ES hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/cropped-OB-eye-orange-32x32.png Derechos de las personas migrantes / personas refugiadas y desplazados internos – The Observatory For Defenders https://observatoryfordefenders.org/es/ 32 32 Norway/Greece: Aegean Boat Report founder, Tommy Olsen, arrested in Norway, following an arrest warrant issued by the Greek authorities https://observatoryfordefenders.org/es/alert/norway-greece-aegean-boat-report-founder-tommy-olsen-arrested-in-norway-following-an-arrest-warrant-issued-by-the-greek-authorities/ Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:13:00 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=24606 Tommy Olsen, a Norwegian human rights defender and founder of the NGO Aegean Boat Report, in relation to a European arrest warrant issued by the Greek authorities. Mr Olsen is the founder of Aegean Boat Report, created in 2017 as a platform documenting arrivals and distress situations of people on the move in the Aegean Sea, and formally established as a nongovernmental organisation in 2018. Aegean Boat Report also documented and denounced human rights violations committed against people on the move, including illegal pushbacks committed by authorities. On 16 March 2026, Tommy Olsen was arrested by the Norwegian police in Tromsø, in the North of Norway, in execution of a European arrest warrant following an investigation initiated in 2022 by the Greek authorities. On the same day, the Byretten City Court ruled that Mr Olsen would be extradited to Greece, and he was remanded in custody in Tromsø prison. His defence lawyer appealed the extradition ruling and his detention to the Hålogaland Court of Appeals, based in Tromsø. On 20 March 2026, Mr Olsen was released, but he still faces extradition. On 27 March 2026, the appeal judge ruled that the case will be processed by the Court of Appeals, without specifying the date of the hearing. If extradited to Greece, Mr Olsen could face prolonged pretrial detention of up to 18 months, as well as a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years, on charges that constitute a reprisal for his legitimate human rights activities. On 14 May 2024, the Investigating Magistrate of Kos issued an arrest warrant No 14/14-05-2024 against Mr Olsen. The warrant stems from a criminal investigation opened in 2022 against Mr Olsen and Mr Panayote Dimitras, co-founder and spokesperson of the Greek Helsinki Monitor, in retaliation for their legitimate work defending the rights of people on the move. As reported by the Observatory in 2022, the investigation against both Mr Olsen and Mr Dimitras is based on charges including “participation and membership of a criminal organisation”, “facilitating the entry into Greek territory of a third-country national, committed by two or more persons for profit and in the course of their professional activity, and committed repeatedly” and “facilitating the unlawful residence of a third country national for profit and on a repeated basis”, although past case law of similar trials, including Supreme Court case law, indicates individuals cannot be charged under “criminal organisation” for one action, without clear hierarchical organisation or financial benefits, nor can there be “facilitation of entry” when supporting people with accessing the universal right to asylum. The charges stem from their work of alerting authorities such as Hellenic Police, the Coast Guard, migration authorities, the United Nations Refugee Agency and the Greek Ombudsman of the presence of people arriving on the Greek islands of Kos in July 2021 and of their intention of applying for asylum, in alleged coordination with individuals in Turkey. Mr Olsen was only notified of the investigation in January 2023. The Observatory recalls that the case has been marked by smear campaigns and judicial harassment, including preventive measures imposed on Mr Dimitras and, more recently, reprisals for Mr Dimitras’ anti-racist activism. The Observatory recalls that non-governmental organisations that work on migrants’ rights play an essential role to defend the human rights of people on the move in a context of systematic violations of international human rights standards by the Greek authorities, including illegal pushbacks and collective expulsions of migrants, as denounced in 2020 by the UN Committee Against Torture (UNCAT). The Greek state has consistently failed to submit the information concerning the alleged intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders and humanitarian workers and volunteers that was required by the UNCAT. Yet, migrants’ rights defenders have been heavily criminalised for years. They have consistently been targeted for their legitimate work and have faced different types of attacks, including surveillance, judicial harassment, smear campaigns, entry bans and expulsion from the country. The Greek investigative authorities often leak alleged criminal investigations initiated against migrants’ rights defenders to the media, creating a climate of fear and a chilling effect among all rights defenders, as documented by the Observatory in its 2021 report “Europe: Open Season on Solidarity”. The Observatory notes that cooperation between Greek and Norwegian authorities to arbitrarily detain Mr Olsen, a human rights defender in reprisal for his legitimate human rights activities, constitutes an act of transnational repression. The Observatory also notes Norway’s historical role to emphasise the right of human rights defenders to exercise the right to defend rights without obstacles and free from reprisals, including through the promotion of United Nations General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions. The Observatory further recalls that the European Parliament, in its resolution of 13 November 2025, recognised transnational repression as encompassing the misuse of legal instruments, including arrest warrants and extradition procedures, to target human rights defenders beyond national borders. It also denounces the occurrence of such practices within European Union territory and, in some instances, with the involvement or cooperation of Member States. In this context, the Observatory expresses serious concern that the actions undertaken by the Greek authorities, a Member State of the European Union, together with Norway as a partner country, constitute an instance of such practices. The Observatory further highlights the European Parliament’s call on the European Union and its Member States to hold accountable those responsible for acts of transnational repression in violation of international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Convention against Torture, and the Refugee Convention, and to consider targeted sanctions against perpetrators. The Observatory strongly condemns the arrest of Mr Tommy Olsen and reiterates that human rights defenders working to protect people on the move are playing a crucial role in a context where serious violations, including illegal pushbacks and collective expulsions, have been widely documented.]]> Tommy Olsen, a Norwegian human rights defender and founder of the NGO Aegean Boat Report, in relation to a European arrest warrant issued by the Greek authorities. Mr Olsen is the founder of Aegean Boat Report, created in 2017 as a platform documenting arrivals and distress situations of people on the move in the Aegean Sea, and formally established as a nongovernmental organisation in 2018. Aegean Boat Report also documented and denounced human rights violations committed against people on the move, including illegal pushbacks committed by authorities. On 16 March 2026, Tommy Olsen was arrested by the Norwegian police in Tromsø, in the North of Norway, in execution of a European arrest warrant following an investigation initiated in 2022 by the Greek authorities. On the same day, the Byretten City Court ruled that Mr Olsen would be extradited to Greece, and he was remanded in custody in Tromsø prison. His defence lawyer appealed the extradition ruling and his detention to the Hålogaland Court of Appeals, based in Tromsø. On 20 March 2026, Mr Olsen was released, but he still faces extradition. On 27 March 2026, the appeal judge ruled that the case will be processed by the Court of Appeals, without specifying the date of the hearing. If extradited to Greece, Mr Olsen could face prolonged pretrial detention of up to 18 months, as well as a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years, on charges that constitute a reprisal for his legitimate human rights activities. On 14 May 2024, the Investigating Magistrate of Kos issued an arrest warrant No 14/14-05-2024 against Mr Olsen. The warrant stems from a criminal investigation opened in 2022 against Mr Olsen and Mr Panayote Dimitras, co-founder and spokesperson of the Greek Helsinki Monitor, in retaliation for their legitimate work defending the rights of people on the move. As reported by the Observatory in 2022, the investigation against both Mr Olsen and Mr Dimitras is based on charges including “participation and membership of a criminal organisation”, “facilitating the entry into Greek territory of a third-country national, committed by two or more persons for profit and in the course of their professional activity, and committed repeatedly” and “facilitating the unlawful residence of a third country national for profit and on a repeated basis”, although past case law of similar trials, including Supreme Court case law, indicates individuals cannot be charged under “criminal organisation” for one action, without clear hierarchical organisation or financial benefits, nor can there be “facilitation of entry” when supporting people with accessing the universal right to asylum. The charges stem from their work of alerting authorities such as Hellenic Police, the Coast Guard, migration authorities, the United Nations Refugee Agency and the Greek Ombudsman of the presence of people arriving on the Greek islands of Kos in July 2021 and of their intention of applying for asylum, in alleged coordination with individuals in Turkey. Mr Olsen was only notified of the investigation in January 2023. The Observatory recalls that the case has been marked by smear campaigns and judicial harassment, including preventive measures imposed on Mr Dimitras and, more recently, reprisals for Mr Dimitras’ anti-racist activism. The Observatory recalls that non-governmental organisations that work on migrants’ rights play an essential role to defend the human rights of people on the move in a context of systematic violations of international human rights standards by the Greek authorities, including illegal pushbacks and collective expulsions of migrants, as denounced in 2020 by the UN Committee Against Torture (UNCAT). The Greek state has consistently failed to submit the information concerning the alleged intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders and humanitarian workers and volunteers that was required by the UNCAT. Yet, migrants’ rights defenders have been heavily criminalised for years. They have consistently been targeted for their legitimate work and have faced different types of attacks, including surveillance, judicial harassment, smear campaigns, entry bans and expulsion from the country. The Greek investigative authorities often leak alleged criminal investigations initiated against migrants’ rights defenders to the media, creating a climate of fear and a chilling effect among all rights defenders, as documented by the Observatory in its 2021 report “Europe: Open Season on Solidarity”. The Observatory notes that cooperation between Greek and Norwegian authorities to arbitrarily detain Mr Olsen, a human rights defender in reprisal for his legitimate human rights activities, constitutes an act of transnational repression. The Observatory also notes Norway’s historical role to emphasise the right of human rights defenders to exercise the right to defend rights without obstacles and free from reprisals, including through the promotion of United Nations General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions. The Observatory further recalls that the European Parliament, in its resolution of 13 November 2025, recognised transnational repression as encompassing the misuse of legal instruments, including arrest warrants and extradition procedures, to target human rights defenders beyond national borders. It also denounces the occurrence of such practices within European Union territory and, in some instances, with the involvement or cooperation of Member States. In this context, the Observatory expresses serious concern that the actions undertaken by the Greek authorities, a Member State of the European Union, together with Norway as a partner country, constitute an instance of such practices. The Observatory further highlights the European Parliament’s call on the European Union and its Member States to hold accountable those responsible for acts of transnational repression in violation of international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Convention against Torture, and the Refugee Convention, and to consider targeted sanctions against perpetrators. The Observatory strongly condemns the arrest of Mr Tommy Olsen and reiterates that human rights defenders working to protect people on the move are playing a crucial role in a context where serious violations, including illegal pushbacks and collective expulsions, have been widely documented.]]> Tunisie : la défenseure des droits humains Saadia Mosbah doit être libérée https://observatoryfordefenders.org/es/alert/tunisie-la-defenseure-des-droits-humains-saadia-mosbah-doit-etre-liberee/ Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:09:08 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=24568 Saadia Mosbah, défenseure des droits humains tunisienne, militante antiraciste et présidente de l’association M’nemty, engagée contre les discriminations raciales et pour les droits des personnes en déplacement en Tunisie. Elle a notamment contribué aux mobilisations ayant conduit à l’adoption en 2018 d’une loi tunisienne criminalisant les discriminations raciales. Le 12 mars 2026, Mme Saadia Mosbah a comparu devant la chambre criminelle du tribunal de première instance de Tunis, dans le cadre d’une affaire dans laquelle elle est poursuivie pour blanchiment d’argent en vertu de la loi n°26 de 2015 relative à la lutte contre le terrorisme et le blanchiment d’argent, pour enrichissement illicite et constitution d’une entente criminelle en lien avec les activités de l’association M’nemty, qu’elle préside. Lors de cette audience, ses avocat·es et ses proches ont demandé sa libération, dénonçant un « dossier vide et sans preuves ». Selon sa défense, l’état de santé de Mme Mosbah s’est fortement dégradé au cours de sa détention prolongée. La juridiction a toutefois rejeté sa demande de remise en liberté, et a fixé la prochaine audience au 19 mars 2026 afin d’examiner l’affaire sur le fond. Le 6 mai 2024, les autorités tunisiennes ont arrêté Mme Saadia Mosbah à son domicile dans le cadre d’une enquête judiciaire visant l’association M’nemty. L’enquête porte notamment sur les financements reçus par M’nemty dans le cadre de ses activités de soutien aux personnes en déplacement et de lutte contre les discriminations raciales. Le lendemain de cette arrestation, le 7 mai, les forces de l’ordre ont perquisitionné le siège de l’association M’nemty ainsi que le domicile de Mme Mosbah à Tunis. À l’issue de cette opération, les autorités ont placé la défenseure en détention provisoire à la prison pour femmes de Manouba, au nord du pays. Plusieurs membres de l’association ont également été convoqué·es, interrogé·es puis poursuivi·es pour les mêmes accusations par les autorités judiciaires dans les jours et semaines qui ont suivi, sans être incarcéré·es. Au cours des mois qui ont suivi l’arrestation de Mme Mosbah, le parquet près le tribunal de première instance de Tunis a prolongé à plusieurs reprises sa détention provisoire. En mars 2025, un rapport d’expertise comptable versé au dossier a conclu que les financements de l’association M’nemty étaient légaux, transparents et de faible ampleur, ce qui contredit les accusations de blanchiment d’argent portées contre Mme Mosbah. Malgré ces conclusions, les poursuites ont été maintenues. Le 22 décembre 2025, le procès de Mme Saadia Mosbah s’était ouvert devant la chambre criminelle du tribunal de première instance de Tunis, où plusieurs dizaines de personnes se sont rassemblées pour demander sa libération. Plusieurs membres de l’association M’nemty, également poursuivi·es, comparaissaient libres. Depuis le début de sa détention, Mme Mosbah a également dénoncé des conditions de détention difficiles. Transférée de la prison pour femmes de Manouba vers celle de Béni Khalled, dans le gouvernorat de Nabeul, elle a signalé dans des lettres rendues publiques en septembre et octobre 2025 des difficultés d’accès à l’eau potable, des restrictions concernant la réception de livres ainsi que des limitations dans les visites familiales. L’Observatoire rappelle qu’en février 2023, le président tunisien Kaïs Saïed a prononcé un discours dénonçant l’arrivée de personnes migrantes d’Afrique subsaharienne et évoquant un prétendu complot visant à modifier la composition démographique du pays. L’arrestation de Mme Mosbah est intervenue dans ce contexte de campagnes de diffamation et de harcèlement visant l’association M’nemty et plusieurs de ses membres sur les réseaux sociaux, accusant notamment l’organisation de participer à ce prétendu complot. L’Observatoire rappelle également que les poursuites visant Mme Mosbah s’inscrivent dans un contexte de répression croissante de la société civile en Tunisie, marqué par des poursuites judiciaires contre des défenseur·es des droits humains, des campagnes de dénigrement dans les médias et des restrictions visant les organisations travaillant sur les questions migratoires. L’Observatoire exprime sa vive inquiétude face au maintien en détention de Mme Saadia Mosbah depuis près de deux ans et considère que les poursuites engagées contre elle semblent viser à entraver ses activités légitimes de défense des droits humains, notamment son engagement contre le racisme et pour la défense des droits des personnes en déplacement. L’Observatoire appelle les autorités tunisiennes à libérer immédiatement Mme Mosbah et note également que ces conditions de détention, compte tenu notamment de son âge (66 ans) et des préoccupations relatives à son état de santé, pourraient constituer des traitements cruels, inhumains ou dégradants contraires aux obligations internationales de la Tunisie, notamment de l’article 7 et de l’article 10 du Pacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques, ainsi que de l’article 16 de la Convention des Nations unies contre la torture. Actions requises : L’Observatoire vous prie de bien vouloir écrire aux autorités tunisiennes en leur demandant de : Garantir en toutes circonstances l’intégrité physique et le bien-être psychologique de Saadia Mosbah et de l’ensemble des défenseur·es des droits humains en Tunisie, et garantir son accès à des soins adéquats et aux visites ; Libérer immédiatement et de manière inconditionnelle Saadia Mosbah et tou·tes les défenseur·es des droits humains arbitrairement détenu·es pour leur travail légitime de défense des droits humains ; Mettre un terme à tout acte de harcèlement, y compris au niveau judiciaire, à l’encontre de Saadia Mosbah ainsi que de tou·tes les défenseur·es des droits humains ; Garantir le respect effectif du droit à un procès équitable pour Saadia Mosbah et l’ensemble des défenseur·es des droits humains et détenu·e·s en Tunisie ; et Cesser de cibler les défenseur.es et les organisations de droits humains, les journalistes et les médias en Tunisie et garantir en toutes circonstances qu’ils et elles puissent mener leurs activités légitimes en faveur des droits humains sans entraves ni crainte de représailles. Adresses : • M. Kaïs Saïed, Président de la République, Email : contact@carthage.tn ; X : @TnPresidency • Mme Sarra Zaafrani Zanzri, Cheffe de gouvernement, Email : boc@pm.gov.tn ; X : @TunisiaPM • Mme Leila Jaffel, Ministre de la Justice, Email : info@e-justice.tn • M. Khaled Nouri , Ministre de l’Intérieur, Email : boc@interieur.gov.tn • M. Sabri Bachtobji, Ambassadeur, Représentant permanent de la Tunisie auprès des Nations unies à Genève, Suisse, Email : at.geneve@diplomatie.gov.tn • M. Sahbi Khalfallah, Ambassadeur, Ambassade de la Tunisie à Bruxelles, Belgique, Email : at.belgique@diplomatie.gov.tn Prière d’écrire également aux représentations diplomatiques de Tunisie dans vos pays respectifs. *** Genève-Paris, le 18 Mars 2026 Merci de bien vouloir informer l’Observatoire de toutes actions entreprises en indiquant le code de cet appel. L’Observatoire partenariat de la FIDH et de l’OMCT, a vocation à protéger les défenseur·es des droits humains victimes de violations et à leur apporter une aide aussi concrète que possible. La FIDH et l’OMCT sont membres de ProtectDefenders.eu, le mécanisme de l’Union européenne pour les défenseur·es des droits humains mis en œuvre par la société civile internationale. Pour contacter l’Observatoire, appeler La Ligne d’Urgence : · E-mail : alert@observatoryfordefenders.org · Tel FIDH : +33 1 43 55 25 18 · Tel OMCT : + 41 22 809 49 39]]> Saadia Mosbah, défenseure des droits humains tunisienne, militante antiraciste et présidente de l’association M’nemty, engagée contre les discriminations raciales et pour les droits des personnes en déplacement en Tunisie. Elle a notamment contribué aux mobilisations ayant conduit à l’adoption en 2018 d’une loi tunisienne criminalisant les discriminations raciales. Le 12 mars 2026, Mme Saadia Mosbah a comparu devant la chambre criminelle du tribunal de première instance de Tunis, dans le cadre d’une affaire dans laquelle elle est poursuivie pour blanchiment d’argent en vertu de la loi n°26 de 2015 relative à la lutte contre le terrorisme et le blanchiment d’argent, pour enrichissement illicite et constitution d’une entente criminelle en lien avec les activités de l’association M’nemty, qu’elle préside. Lors de cette audience, ses avocat·es et ses proches ont demandé sa libération, dénonçant un « dossier vide et sans preuves ». Selon sa défense, l’état de santé de Mme Mosbah s’est fortement dégradé au cours de sa détention prolongée. La juridiction a toutefois rejeté sa demande de remise en liberté, et a fixé la prochaine audience au 19 mars 2026 afin d’examiner l’affaire sur le fond. Le 6 mai 2024, les autorités tunisiennes ont arrêté Mme Saadia Mosbah à son domicile dans le cadre d’une enquête judiciaire visant l’association M’nemty. L’enquête porte notamment sur les financements reçus par M’nemty dans le cadre de ses activités de soutien aux personnes en déplacement et de lutte contre les discriminations raciales. Le lendemain de cette arrestation, le 7 mai, les forces de l’ordre ont perquisitionné le siège de l’association M’nemty ainsi que le domicile de Mme Mosbah à Tunis. À l’issue de cette opération, les autorités ont placé la défenseure en détention provisoire à la prison pour femmes de Manouba, au nord du pays. Plusieurs membres de l’association ont également été convoqué·es, interrogé·es puis poursuivi·es pour les mêmes accusations par les autorités judiciaires dans les jours et semaines qui ont suivi, sans être incarcéré·es. Au cours des mois qui ont suivi l’arrestation de Mme Mosbah, le parquet près le tribunal de première instance de Tunis a prolongé à plusieurs reprises sa détention provisoire. En mars 2025, un rapport d’expertise comptable versé au dossier a conclu que les financements de l’association M’nemty étaient légaux, transparents et de faible ampleur, ce qui contredit les accusations de blanchiment d’argent portées contre Mme Mosbah. Malgré ces conclusions, les poursuites ont été maintenues. Le 22 décembre 2025, le procès de Mme Saadia Mosbah s’était ouvert devant la chambre criminelle du tribunal de première instance de Tunis, où plusieurs dizaines de personnes se sont rassemblées pour demander sa libération. Plusieurs membres de l’association M’nemty, également poursuivi·es, comparaissaient libres. Depuis le début de sa détention, Mme Mosbah a également dénoncé des conditions de détention difficiles. Transférée de la prison pour femmes de Manouba vers celle de Béni Khalled, dans le gouvernorat de Nabeul, elle a signalé dans des lettres rendues publiques en septembre et octobre 2025 des difficultés d’accès à l’eau potable, des restrictions concernant la réception de livres ainsi que des limitations dans les visites familiales. L’Observatoire rappelle qu’en février 2023, le président tunisien Kaïs Saïed a prononcé un discours dénonçant l’arrivée de personnes migrantes d’Afrique subsaharienne et évoquant un prétendu complot visant à modifier la composition démographique du pays. L’arrestation de Mme Mosbah est intervenue dans ce contexte de campagnes de diffamation et de harcèlement visant l’association M’nemty et plusieurs de ses membres sur les réseaux sociaux, accusant notamment l’organisation de participer à ce prétendu complot. L’Observatoire rappelle également que les poursuites visant Mme Mosbah s’inscrivent dans un contexte de répression croissante de la société civile en Tunisie, marqué par des poursuites judiciaires contre des défenseur·es des droits humains, des campagnes de dénigrement dans les médias et des restrictions visant les organisations travaillant sur les questions migratoires. L’Observatoire exprime sa vive inquiétude face au maintien en détention de Mme Saadia Mosbah depuis près de deux ans et considère que les poursuites engagées contre elle semblent viser à entraver ses activités légitimes de défense des droits humains, notamment son engagement contre le racisme et pour la défense des droits des personnes en déplacement. L’Observatoire appelle les autorités tunisiennes à libérer immédiatement Mme Mosbah et note également que ces conditions de détention, compte tenu notamment de son âge (66 ans) et des préoccupations relatives à son état de santé, pourraient constituer des traitements cruels, inhumains ou dégradants contraires aux obligations internationales de la Tunisie, notamment de l’article 7 et de l’article 10 du Pacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques, ainsi que de l’article 16 de la Convention des Nations unies contre la torture. Actions requises : L’Observatoire vous prie de bien vouloir écrire aux autorités tunisiennes en leur demandant de : Garantir en toutes circonstances l’intégrité physique et le bien-être psychologique de Saadia Mosbah et de l’ensemble des défenseur·es des droits humains en Tunisie, et garantir son accès à des soins adéquats et aux visites ; Libérer immédiatement et de manière inconditionnelle Saadia Mosbah et tou·tes les défenseur·es des droits humains arbitrairement détenu·es pour leur travail légitime de défense des droits humains ; Mettre un terme à tout acte de harcèlement, y compris au niveau judiciaire, à l’encontre de Saadia Mosbah ainsi que de tou·tes les défenseur·es des droits humains ; Garantir le respect effectif du droit à un procès équitable pour Saadia Mosbah et l’ensemble des défenseur·es des droits humains et détenu·e·s en Tunisie ; et Cesser de cibler les défenseur.es et les organisations de droits humains, les journalistes et les médias en Tunisie et garantir en toutes circonstances qu’ils et elles puissent mener leurs activités légitimes en faveur des droits humains sans entraves ni crainte de représailles. Adresses : • M. Kaïs Saïed, Président de la République, Email : contact@carthage.tn ; X : @TnPresidency • Mme Sarra Zaafrani Zanzri, Cheffe de gouvernement, Email : boc@pm.gov.tn ; X : @TunisiaPM • Mme Leila Jaffel, Ministre de la Justice, Email : info@e-justice.tn • M. Khaled Nouri , Ministre de l’Intérieur, Email : boc@interieur.gov.tn • M. Sabri Bachtobji, Ambassadeur, Représentant permanent de la Tunisie auprès des Nations unies à Genève, Suisse, Email : at.geneve@diplomatie.gov.tn • M. Sahbi Khalfallah, Ambassadeur, Ambassade de la Tunisie à Bruxelles, Belgique, Email : at.belgique@diplomatie.gov.tn Prière d’écrire également aux représentations diplomatiques de Tunisie dans vos pays respectifs. *** Genève-Paris, le 18 Mars 2026 Merci de bien vouloir informer l’Observatoire de toutes actions entreprises en indiquant le code de cet appel. L’Observatoire partenariat de la FIDH et de l’OMCT, a vocation à protéger les défenseur·es des droits humains victimes de violations et à leur apporter une aide aussi concrète que possible. La FIDH et l’OMCT sont membres de ProtectDefenders.eu, le mécanisme de l’Union européenne pour les défenseur·es des droits humains mis en œuvre par la société civile internationale. Pour contacter l’Observatoire, appeler La Ligne d’Urgence : · E-mail : alert@observatoryfordefenders.org · Tel FIDH : +33 1 43 55 25 18 · Tel OMCT : + 41 22 809 49 39]]> Mauritanie : les détentions arbitraires de défenseur·es des droits des personnes migrantes doivent cesser ! https://observatoryfordefenders.org/es/alert/mauritanie-les-detentions-arbitraires-de-defenseur%c2%b7es-des-droits-des-personnes-migrantes-doivent-cesser/ Mon, 17 Nov 2025 17:16:16 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=24185 Au cours des six derniers mois, de nombreux·ses défenseur·es des droits des personnes migrantes et anti-esclavage ont été arbitrairement arrêté·es et détenu·es en Mauritanie, dénotant une tendance globale à la fermeture de l’espace civique dans le pays. L'Observatoire pour la protection des défenseur·es des droits humains (FIDH-OMCT) et l’Association Mauritanienne des Droits de l’Homme (AMDH Mauritanie) condamnent fermement cette vague d’arrestations et appellent les autorités mauritaniennes à mettre un terme à tout acte de harcèlement, y compris au niveau judiciaire, à l’encontre des défenseur·es des personnes migrantes, libérer toutes celles et ceux encore arbitrairement détenu·es, et respecter leur obligation internationale de protéger les défenseur·es des droits humains. Paris-Genève, 17 novembre 2025 – Plusieurs membres de l’Initiative de résurgence du mouvement abolitionniste (IRA) sont actuellement arbitrairement poursuivi·es ou détenu·es en raison de leurs activités de défense des droits des migrant·es ouest-africain·es. Mme Warda Ahmed Souleymane, journaliste, militante anti-esclavagiste et membre de la commission de communication de l’IRA, a été arrêtée par les autorités mauritaniennes au soir du 31 octobre 2025. Cinq policiers en civil, dont deux connus de la défenseure, sont venus à son domicile à bord de deux voitures Toyota (Hillux et Rav4) pour l’interpeller, avant de l’emmener au commissariat chargé de la cybercriminalité à Nouakchott. Les 7 et 8 novembre 2025, elle a été présentée au parquet du tribunal de Nouakchott Ouest, qui l’a aussitôt renvoyée chez le juge d’instruction chargé du pôle anti-terroriste et de la sûreté de l’État avec une demande de dépôt à la prison. Le juge d’instruction l’a inculpée d’« appel à un soulèvement », « diffusion de fausses nouvelles par la voix électronique » et mise sous contrôle judiciaire. La poursuite de Mme Warda Ahmed Souleymane semble avoir un lien avec sa participation en tant que déléguée de l’IRA à la 85ᵉ session de la Commission africaine des droits de l’Homme et des peuples (CADHP) tenue à Banjul, en Gambie, du 21 au 30 octobre 2025. Au cours d’un panel organisé par le Forum des ONG, consacré à la discrimination raciale et à l’apartheid, celle-ci a dénoncé « la discrimination raciale contre les populations noires mauritaniennes » et « appelé, de manière pacifique, les citoyens mauritaniens à une prise de conscience civique ». À son retour de Banjul le 20 octobre 2025, des organisations de la société civile proches du gouvernement mauritanien l’auraient, via des messages vocaux sur WhatsApp, insultée, dénoncée et encouragé les autorités à l’arrêter et lui retirer son passeport. L’Observatoire et l'AMDH rappellent que ce n’est pas la première arrestation de Mme Warda Ahmed Souleymanbe par les autorités mauritaniennes. Le 1er avril 2025, elle avait été arrêtée avant d’être libérée le 17 avril. M. Youssouf Camara, lanceur d’alerte et militant de l’IRA a été arrêté à son domicile le 17 septembre 2025 par des policiers en tenue civile sans mandat. Le 23 septembre 2025, il a été déposé à la prison civile de Nouakchott, après avoir passé six jours en détention au secret. Il a été auditionné le 8 octobre 2025 par un juge d’instruction du Cabinet n°1 du tribunal de Nouakchott qui l’a poursuivi pour « incitation à la haine et à la violence », « utilisation abusive des bases de données » et « discrimination »… conformément aux dispositions des articles 2, 3, 11, 12, 13 14 15 et 17 de la loi 2018-025 sur la discrimination de 2018 et aux 2, 3 et 7, 22, 23 et 24 de la loi n° 2016-007 du 20 janvier 2016 relative à la cybercriminalité. Le 13 octobre 2025, il a été interrogé sur le fond, le dossier a été aussitôt envoyé au parquet pour avis de clôture et la défense a introduit une demande de non-lieu. M. Camara risque d’un à trois ans d’emprisonnement. L’arrestation de M. Camara semble liée à son travail de dénonciation des maltraitances des migrant·es ouest-africain·es par les forces de sécurité mauritaniennes. À la veille de son arrestation, à l’occasion d’une assemblée de militant·es, il avait dénoncé, dans une vidéo publiée sur Tiktok, les brutalités policières et les arrestations et détentions au faciès. M. Ablaye Ba, premier responsable de la commission migrations à l’IRA, a été arrêté le 26 avril 2025 par les forces de l’ordre mauritaniennes. Il est poursuivi pour « incitation et de propagation de la haine », « utilisation abusive des bases de données », et « discrimination ». M. Ba a comparu devant le juge d’instruction du premier cabinet du pôle anti-terroriste à Nouakchott le 5 juin 2025, audience à l’issue de laquelle il a été condamné à un an de prison dont six mois ferme et à une amende de 200 000 ouguiyas (environ 4 300 Euros) pour « utilisation abusive des bases de données » et « discrimination ». Il a fait appel de cette décision. Entre temps, M. Ba a obtenu une liberté provisoire sur une décision en référé du tribunal correctionnel de Nouakchott, le 1er octobre 2025, après avoir purgé cinq de ses six mois de prison. Le parquet, s’étant pourvu contre cette mesure, a obtenu l’annulation de l’ordonnance de liberté provisoire. Le 2 octobre 2025, soit le lendemain de sa libération, la police a démarré ses recherches et le 8 octobre 2025, M. Ba a été de nouveau arrêté et déposé à la prison civile de Nouakchott. Le 29 octobre, il a été libéré après avoir purgé l’intégralité de sa peine. En avril 2025, en plus de Mme Warda Ahmed Souleymane, trois autres militant·es de l’IRA avaient été arbitrairement arrêté·es avant d’être plus tard libéré·es. Certain·es d’entre eux·elles avaient dénoncé des arrestations brutales et le harcèlement constant à l’encontre des personnes migrantes. M. Mohamed Samba Meyssara, responsable de la commission recensement de l’IRA et M. Mohamed Lemine Ahmed Salah, responsable du bureau de Boutilimit de l’IRA, ont été respectivement arrêtés les 8 et 17 avril 2025 et libérés les 17 et 24 avril, respectivement. D’autres membres, tel·les que M. Habib Fall, Mme Ahmed Khouma Chamekh et M. Mohamed Daoud Boushab ont également été victimes d’arrestations arbitraires respectivement le 8 mai, 31 juillet et 4 août 2025. Les deux premiers ont été libéré·es respectivement le 11 mai et 28 août 2025. M. Mohamed Daoud Boushab, arrêté en raison de son assistance à une victime d’expropriation, a été libéré le 13 octobre 2025. L’Observatoire et l'AMDH constatent que l’espace civique en Mauritanie est de plus en plus restreint. Ces arrestations s’inscrivent dans une dynamique et tradition de répression des voix dissidentes dans le pays, notamment celles des défenseur·es et organisations qui militent contre l’esclavage par ascendance et pour le respect des droits des migrant·es ouest-africain·es. En mars 2025, dans le sillage du renforcement du partenariat entre la Mauritanie et l’Union européenne en matière de contrôle du flux migratoire, la Mauritanie a lancé une vaste opération d’expulsion de centaines de ressortissant·es ouest-africain·es, surtout en provenance du Mali et du Sénégal, « en situation irrégulière ». Plusieurs d’entre eux et elles ont été brutalement arrêté·es et arbitrairement détenu·es. Ces rafles et arrestations arbitraires, constituant des violations graves des droits fondamentaux, et notamment de la dignité humaine, ont été dénoncées par des associations de défense des droits humains. L’Observatoire et l'AMDH constatent par ailleurs que la Mauritanie dispose d’un cadre légal restrictif, terreau fertile aux violations des droits et libertés fondamentales des défenseur·es, notamment les libertés d’expression, d’opinion, et de presse. La Loi n°2021-021 portant protection des symboles nationaux et incrimination des atteintes à l’autorité de l’État et à l’honneur du citoyen réprime les actes commis « en utilisant les techniques de l’information, de la communication numérique, les plates-formes de communication sociale en vue de porter atteinte à l’autorité de l’État, à ses symboles, à la sûreté nationale, à la paix civile, à la cohésion sociale, à la vie privée et à l’honneur du citoyen ». Le Comité des droits économiques, sociaux et culturels des Nations unies, dans ses observations finales concernant le deuxième rapport périodique de la Mauritanie le 19 mars 2024, s’est inquiété de cette loi, qui pourrait « être utilisée pour restreindre de manière arbitraire les activités et le travail des défenseur·es des droits humains ». Le Comité s’est également dit « préoccupé par les informations selon lesquelles les défenseur·es des droits humains, notamment les défenseur·es des droits économiques, sociaux et culturels qui travaillent dans la lutte contre la discrimination et contre l’esclavage et les pratiques esclavagistes, exercent leurs activités dans des conditions restrictives et sont souvent exposé·es à diverses formes de harcèlement ou de représailles », et a recommandé à l’État mauritanien d’accélérer l’adoption d’une loi de protection des défenseur·es des droits humains en consultation ouverte et transparente avec la société civile. L’Observatoire et l'AMDH appellent les autorités mauritaniennes à garantir en toutes circonstances l’intégrité physique et psychologique de l’ensemble des défenseur·es des droits humains dans le pays ; à libérer tou·tes les défenseur·es des droits actuellement arbitrairement détenu·es ; et à mettre fin aux pratiques généralisées d’intimidation et de harcèlement, y compris au niveau judiciaire, visant celles et ceux qui défendent les droits des personnes migrantes, victimes de discriminations et anti-esclavage.]]> Au cours des six derniers mois, de nombreux·ses défenseur·es des droits des personnes migrantes et anti-esclavage ont été arbitrairement arrêté·es et détenu·es en Mauritanie, dénotant une tendance globale à la fermeture de l’espace civique dans le pays. L'Observatoire pour la protection des défenseur·es des droits humains (FIDH-OMCT) et l’Association Mauritanienne des Droits de l’Homme (AMDH Mauritanie) condamnent fermement cette vague d’arrestations et appellent les autorités mauritaniennes à mettre un terme à tout acte de harcèlement, y compris au niveau judiciaire, à l’encontre des défenseur·es des personnes migrantes, libérer toutes celles et ceux encore arbitrairement détenu·es, et respecter leur obligation internationale de protéger les défenseur·es des droits humains. Paris-Genève, 17 novembre 2025 – Plusieurs membres de l’Initiative de résurgence du mouvement abolitionniste (IRA) sont actuellement arbitrairement poursuivi·es ou détenu·es en raison de leurs activités de défense des droits des migrant·es ouest-africain·es. Mme Warda Ahmed Souleymane, journaliste, militante anti-esclavagiste et membre de la commission de communication de l’IRA, a été arrêtée par les autorités mauritaniennes au soir du 31 octobre 2025. Cinq policiers en civil, dont deux connus de la défenseure, sont venus à son domicile à bord de deux voitures Toyota (Hillux et Rav4) pour l’interpeller, avant de l’emmener au commissariat chargé de la cybercriminalité à Nouakchott. Les 7 et 8 novembre 2025, elle a été présentée au parquet du tribunal de Nouakchott Ouest, qui l’a aussitôt renvoyée chez le juge d’instruction chargé du pôle anti-terroriste et de la sûreté de l’État avec une demande de dépôt à la prison. Le juge d’instruction l’a inculpée d’« appel à un soulèvement », « diffusion de fausses nouvelles par la voix électronique » et mise sous contrôle judiciaire. La poursuite de Mme Warda Ahmed Souleymane semble avoir un lien avec sa participation en tant que déléguée de l’IRA à la 85ᵉ session de la Commission africaine des droits de l’Homme et des peuples (CADHP) tenue à Banjul, en Gambie, du 21 au 30 octobre 2025. Au cours d’un panel organisé par le Forum des ONG, consacré à la discrimination raciale et à l’apartheid, celle-ci a dénoncé « la discrimination raciale contre les populations noires mauritaniennes » et « appelé, de manière pacifique, les citoyens mauritaniens à une prise de conscience civique ». À son retour de Banjul le 20 octobre 2025, des organisations de la société civile proches du gouvernement mauritanien l’auraient, via des messages vocaux sur WhatsApp, insultée, dénoncée et encouragé les autorités à l’arrêter et lui retirer son passeport. L’Observatoire et l'AMDH rappellent que ce n’est pas la première arrestation de Mme Warda Ahmed Souleymanbe par les autorités mauritaniennes. Le 1er avril 2025, elle avait été arrêtée avant d’être libérée le 17 avril. M. Youssouf Camara, lanceur d’alerte et militant de l’IRA a été arrêté à son domicile le 17 septembre 2025 par des policiers en tenue civile sans mandat. Le 23 septembre 2025, il a été déposé à la prison civile de Nouakchott, après avoir passé six jours en détention au secret. Il a été auditionné le 8 octobre 2025 par un juge d’instruction du Cabinet n°1 du tribunal de Nouakchott qui l’a poursuivi pour « incitation à la haine et à la violence », « utilisation abusive des bases de données » et « discrimination »… conformément aux dispositions des articles 2, 3, 11, 12, 13 14 15 et 17 de la loi 2018-025 sur la discrimination de 2018 et aux 2, 3 et 7, 22, 23 et 24 de la loi n° 2016-007 du 20 janvier 2016 relative à la cybercriminalité. Le 13 octobre 2025, il a été interrogé sur le fond, le dossier a été aussitôt envoyé au parquet pour avis de clôture et la défense a introduit une demande de non-lieu. M. Camara risque d’un à trois ans d’emprisonnement. L’arrestation de M. Camara semble liée à son travail de dénonciation des maltraitances des migrant·es ouest-africain·es par les forces de sécurité mauritaniennes. À la veille de son arrestation, à l’occasion d’une assemblée de militant·es, il avait dénoncé, dans une vidéo publiée sur Tiktok, les brutalités policières et les arrestations et détentions au faciès. M. Ablaye Ba, premier responsable de la commission migrations à l’IRA, a été arrêté le 26 avril 2025 par les forces de l’ordre mauritaniennes. Il est poursuivi pour « incitation et de propagation de la haine », « utilisation abusive des bases de données », et « discrimination ». M. Ba a comparu devant le juge d’instruction du premier cabinet du pôle anti-terroriste à Nouakchott le 5 juin 2025, audience à l’issue de laquelle il a été condamné à un an de prison dont six mois ferme et à une amende de 200 000 ouguiyas (environ 4 300 Euros) pour « utilisation abusive des bases de données » et « discrimination ». Il a fait appel de cette décision. Entre temps, M. Ba a obtenu une liberté provisoire sur une décision en référé du tribunal correctionnel de Nouakchott, le 1er octobre 2025, après avoir purgé cinq de ses six mois de prison. Le parquet, s’étant pourvu contre cette mesure, a obtenu l’annulation de l’ordonnance de liberté provisoire. Le 2 octobre 2025, soit le lendemain de sa libération, la police a démarré ses recherches et le 8 octobre 2025, M. Ba a été de nouveau arrêté et déposé à la prison civile de Nouakchott. Le 29 octobre, il a été libéré après avoir purgé l’intégralité de sa peine. En avril 2025, en plus de Mme Warda Ahmed Souleymane, trois autres militant·es de l’IRA avaient été arbitrairement arrêté·es avant d’être plus tard libéré·es. Certain·es d’entre eux·elles avaient dénoncé des arrestations brutales et le harcèlement constant à l’encontre des personnes migrantes. M. Mohamed Samba Meyssara, responsable de la commission recensement de l’IRA et M. Mohamed Lemine Ahmed Salah, responsable du bureau de Boutilimit de l’IRA, ont été respectivement arrêtés les 8 et 17 avril 2025 et libérés les 17 et 24 avril, respectivement. D’autres membres, tel·les que M. Habib Fall, Mme Ahmed Khouma Chamekh et M. Mohamed Daoud Boushab ont également été victimes d’arrestations arbitraires respectivement le 8 mai, 31 juillet et 4 août 2025. Les deux premiers ont été libéré·es respectivement le 11 mai et 28 août 2025. M. Mohamed Daoud Boushab, arrêté en raison de son assistance à une victime d’expropriation, a été libéré le 13 octobre 2025. L’Observatoire et l'AMDH constatent que l’espace civique en Mauritanie est de plus en plus restreint. Ces arrestations s’inscrivent dans une dynamique et tradition de répression des voix dissidentes dans le pays, notamment celles des défenseur·es et organisations qui militent contre l’esclavage par ascendance et pour le respect des droits des migrant·es ouest-africain·es. En mars 2025, dans le sillage du renforcement du partenariat entre la Mauritanie et l’Union européenne en matière de contrôle du flux migratoire, la Mauritanie a lancé une vaste opération d’expulsion de centaines de ressortissant·es ouest-africain·es, surtout en provenance du Mali et du Sénégal, « en situation irrégulière ». Plusieurs d’entre eux et elles ont été brutalement arrêté·es et arbitrairement détenu·es. Ces rafles et arrestations arbitraires, constituant des violations graves des droits fondamentaux, et notamment de la dignité humaine, ont été dénoncées par des associations de défense des droits humains. L’Observatoire et l'AMDH constatent par ailleurs que la Mauritanie dispose d’un cadre légal restrictif, terreau fertile aux violations des droits et libertés fondamentales des défenseur·es, notamment les libertés d’expression, d’opinion, et de presse. La Loi n°2021-021 portant protection des symboles nationaux et incrimination des atteintes à l’autorité de l’État et à l’honneur du citoyen réprime les actes commis « en utilisant les techniques de l’information, de la communication numérique, les plates-formes de communication sociale en vue de porter atteinte à l’autorité de l’État, à ses symboles, à la sûreté nationale, à la paix civile, à la cohésion sociale, à la vie privée et à l’honneur du citoyen ». Le Comité des droits économiques, sociaux et culturels des Nations unies, dans ses observations finales concernant le deuxième rapport périodique de la Mauritanie le 19 mars 2024, s’est inquiété de cette loi, qui pourrait « être utilisée pour restreindre de manière arbitraire les activités et le travail des défenseur·es des droits humains ». Le Comité s’est également dit « préoccupé par les informations selon lesquelles les défenseur·es des droits humains, notamment les défenseur·es des droits économiques, sociaux et culturels qui travaillent dans la lutte contre la discrimination et contre l’esclavage et les pratiques esclavagistes, exercent leurs activités dans des conditions restrictives et sont souvent exposé·es à diverses formes de harcèlement ou de représailles », et a recommandé à l’État mauritanien d’accélérer l’adoption d’une loi de protection des défenseur·es des droits humains en consultation ouverte et transparente avec la société civile. L’Observatoire et l'AMDH appellent les autorités mauritaniennes à garantir en toutes circonstances l’intégrité physique et psychologique de l’ensemble des défenseur·es des droits humains dans le pays ; à libérer tou·tes les défenseur·es des droits actuellement arbitrairement détenu·es ; et à mettre fin aux pratiques généralisées d’intimidation et de harcèlement, y compris au niveau judiciaire, visant celles et ceux qui défendent les droits des personnes migrantes, victimes de discriminations et anti-esclavage.]]> Greece: continued judicial harassment against migrants’ rights defender Panayote Dimitras https://observatoryfordefenders.org/es/alert/greece-continued-judicial-harassment-against-migrants-rights-defender-panayote-dimitras/ Thu, 23 Jan 2025 17:45:59 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=22887 The Observatory has been informed about a new summon and scheduled appeal hearing against migrants’ rights defender Mr Panayote Dimitras. Mr Dimitras is the co-founder and spokesperson of Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) – an NGO engaged in the protection of human and minority rights and in the fight against discrimination in Greece – and a member of OMCT’s General Assembly.

On 29 November 2024, Panayote Dimitras received a summon from the Second Three-Member Misdemeanours Appeals Court of Athens for an appeal hearing related to the charges of “false accusation” and “aggravated defamation” (Articles 229 and 363 of the Criminal Code of Greece, respectively) for having denounced racist comments from a public official. The appeal hearing will be held on 19 February 2025.

The Observatory recalls that the trial stems from a complaint that Mr Dimitras himself had filed on 19 December 2018 against Mr Christos Kalyviotis, then Mayor of Limni - Mantoudi - Agia Anna, before the Department for Combating Racist Violence (Attica Division) of the Hellenic Police. According to this complaint, Mr Kalyviotis had violated the Greek Law on Combatting Racism and Xenophobia by equating asylum seekers and refugees to criminals in a public statement released on 13 December 2018. On 4 July 2019, Mr Dimitras’ complaint was dismissed and archived by the Prosecutor. However, on 22 April of the same year Mr Kalyviotis filed a lawsuit against Mr Dimitras for “false accusation” and “aggravated defamation”. Mr Kalyviotis alleged that, in his complaint, Mr Dimitras had accused the then Mayor of being an organiser of racist gatherings. For his part, Mr Dimitras maintained that the only accusation he had levelled against Mr Kalyviotis was that of having made a racist statement and that, although the initial complaint made reference to racist gatherings and generically accused their organisers, Mr Kalyviotis was not referred to as one of them. On 16 July 2019, Mr Kalyviotis’ complaint was transferred to the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Athens Court of First Instance, and on 8 January 2020 a preliminary investigation against Mr Dimitras was opened.

On 17 April 2024, the Three-Member Misdemeanours Court of Athens acquitted Panayote Dimitras by concluding that “it is clear that the defendant never filed a false complaint or falsely claimed about the [Mayor] that he was supposedly organising racist gatherings. The racist gatherings with barricades in the area are vaguely attributed to ‘their organisers’, with no connection whatsoever to the then Mayor.” However, on 25 April 2024 the Athens First Instance Prosecutor appealed the decision by arguing that Mr Dimitras’ complaint contained “photographs of unidentified residents allegedly protesting against the sudden arrival and transfer of refugees in their area” and that such inclusion misled the reader to “associate the alleged racist statements of the Mayor-plaintiff with the reactions of the residents as a result of incitement and stirring to riot”. Mr Dimitras refutes such an argument and points out that Mr Kalyviotis never made such a claim during the first instance trial, and never alleged the existence of a nexus between the inclusion of photos in Mr Dimitras’ complaint and a purported incitement to riot.

The procedure initiated by Mr Kalyviotis is only one out of many abusive criminal proceedings brought against Panayote Dimitras over the past few years and constitutive of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs).

On 13 March 2024, the Three-Member Misdemeanours Court of Athens put an end to another prosecution initiated against Mr Dimitras under similar charges of “false accusation” and “aggravated defamation” resulting from a complaint filed against him, in February 2019, by Mr Kostas Katsikis, then Member of the Greek Parliament for the extreme-right party Independent Greeks. In November 2017, Mr Dimitras had filed a complaint against Mr Katsikis for “public incitement to violence or hatred” after Mr Katsikis allegedly made a racist, homophobic, and transphobic speech during a parliamentary debate on 12 December 2016.

On 16 June 2023, the Athens Court of Appeal acquitted Panayote Dimitras and his colleague Ms Andrea Gilbert, GHM specialist on anti-Semitism, in another case of “false accusation” stemming from a complaint for “public incitement to violence or hatred” and “abuse of ecclesiastical office” that they had filed, in April 2017, against the Metropolitan Bishop of Piraeus Seraphim. In first instance, the two GHM members had been sentenced to a twelve-month prison sentence suspended for three years.

On 8 June 2023, the Three-Member Misdemeanours Court of Athens granted Mr Dimitras’ appeal against his referral to trial and dropped the charges of “false accusation” and “aggravated defamation” brought against him by a police officer after Mr Dimitras had filed a complaint against him in relation with a homophobic statement.

On 3 February 2023, the same court had granted Mr Dimitras’ appeal against his referral to trial following another complaint for “false accusation” and “aggravated defamation” filed, on 26 March 2019, by musician and actor Mr Yannis Zouganelis. In December 2018, Mr Dimitras had filed a complaint against Mr Zouganelis after he had made racist comments against Greece-based migrants in a television statement on 19 December 2018.

Currently, Panayote Dimitras is facing two additional lawsuits to those mentioned above and one criminal complaint. The first lawsuit stems from a complaint that he filed in 2021 against extreme-right leader Mr Failos Kranidiotis, after the politician had published a tweet in which he called all refugees “illegal plunderers”. In response to the complaint, Mr Kranidiotis filed a civil lawsuit against Mr Dimitras for “alleged insult” and requested 120,000 Euros for moral damage. On 20 October 2023, an Athens Multi-Member First Instance Court (with Judgment 3577/2023) ruled that the GHM complaint was libelous and awarded Mr Kranidiotis 3,000 Euros for moral damage. Mr Dimitras’ and Mr Kranidiotis’ appeals before the Athens Three-Member Appeals Court are to be heard on 18 September 2025. The second lawsuit was filed by Mr Kalyviotis seeking 25,000 Euros for moral damages and is pending before the courts. Moreover, Mr Dimitras is being accused in a criminal case of “forming or joining for profit and by profession a criminal organisation with the purpose of facilitating the entry and stay of third country nationals into Greek territory” for having provided humanitarian assistance to asylum seekers. The proceeding has resulted in severe preventive measures against him, including a 10,000 Euros bail, a ban to travel abroad and the freezing of one bank account which was lifted only after 18 months.

Several international institutions and human rights bodies have expressed concern over this latter case and the measures adopted therein, including: the European Parliament in its resolution of 7 February 2024 on the rule of law and media freedom in Greece (2024/2502(RSP)); the UN Human Rights Committee in the Concluding observations on the third periodic report of Greece of 28 November 2024 (CCPR/C/GRC/CO/3); and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in its Concluding observations on the combined twenty-third and twenty-fourth periodic reports of Greece of 24 December 2024 (CERD/C/GRC/CO/23-24).

The Observatory strongly condemns the continued judicial harassment against Panayote Dimitras, which appears to be solely aimed at silencing him and at obstructing his legitimate human rights work. The Observatory urges the Greek authorities to ensure the respect of Mr Dimitras’ rights to due process and fair trial, and to put an immediate end to the judicial harassment against him.

The Observatory also calls on the Greek authorities to protect human rights defenders from abusive proceedings, whose perpetrators should be brought to justice and, if found guilty, duly punished, and to guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders are able to carry out their legitimate activities without fear of reprisals, as also urged by the aforementioned human rights bodies.

]]> The Observatory has been informed about a new summon and scheduled appeal hearing against migrants’ rights defender Mr Panayote Dimitras. Mr Dimitras is the co-founder and spokesperson of Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) – an NGO engaged in the protection of human and minority rights and in the fight against discrimination in Greece – and a member of OMCT’s General Assembly.

On 29 November 2024, Panayote Dimitras received a summon from the Second Three-Member Misdemeanours Appeals Court of Athens for an appeal hearing related to the charges of “false accusation” and “aggravated defamation” (Articles 229 and 363 of the Criminal Code of Greece, respectively) for having denounced racist comments from a public official. The appeal hearing will be held on 19 February 2025.

The Observatory recalls that the trial stems from a complaint that Mr Dimitras himself had filed on 19 December 2018 against Mr Christos Kalyviotis, then Mayor of Limni - Mantoudi - Agia Anna, before the Department for Combating Racist Violence (Attica Division) of the Hellenic Police. According to this complaint, Mr Kalyviotis had violated the Greek Law on Combatting Racism and Xenophobia by equating asylum seekers and refugees to criminals in a public statement released on 13 December 2018. On 4 July 2019, Mr Dimitras’ complaint was dismissed and archived by the Prosecutor. However, on 22 April of the same year Mr Kalyviotis filed a lawsuit against Mr Dimitras for “false accusation” and “aggravated defamation”. Mr Kalyviotis alleged that, in his complaint, Mr Dimitras had accused the then Mayor of being an organiser of racist gatherings. For his part, Mr Dimitras maintained that the only accusation he had levelled against Mr Kalyviotis was that of having made a racist statement and that, although the initial complaint made reference to racist gatherings and generically accused their organisers, Mr Kalyviotis was not referred to as one of them. On 16 July 2019, Mr Kalyviotis’ complaint was transferred to the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Athens Court of First Instance, and on 8 January 2020 a preliminary investigation against Mr Dimitras was opened.

On 17 April 2024, the Three-Member Misdemeanours Court of Athens acquitted Panayote Dimitras by concluding that “it is clear that the defendant never filed a false complaint or falsely claimed about the [Mayor] that he was supposedly organising racist gatherings. The racist gatherings with barricades in the area are vaguely attributed to ‘their organisers’, with no connection whatsoever to the then Mayor.” However, on 25 April 2024 the Athens First Instance Prosecutor appealed the decision by arguing that Mr Dimitras’ complaint contained “photographs of unidentified residents allegedly protesting against the sudden arrival and transfer of refugees in their area” and that such inclusion misled the reader to “associate the alleged racist statements of the Mayor-plaintiff with the reactions of the residents as a result of incitement and stirring to riot”. Mr Dimitras refutes such an argument and points out that Mr Kalyviotis never made such a claim during the first instance trial, and never alleged the existence of a nexus between the inclusion of photos in Mr Dimitras’ complaint and a purported incitement to riot.

The procedure initiated by Mr Kalyviotis is only one out of many abusive criminal proceedings brought against Panayote Dimitras over the past few years and constitutive of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs).

On 13 March 2024, the Three-Member Misdemeanours Court of Athens put an end to another prosecution initiated against Mr Dimitras under similar charges of “false accusation” and “aggravated defamation” resulting from a complaint filed against him, in February 2019, by Mr Kostas Katsikis, then Member of the Greek Parliament for the extreme-right party Independent Greeks. In November 2017, Mr Dimitras had filed a complaint against Mr Katsikis for “public incitement to violence or hatred” after Mr Katsikis allegedly made a racist, homophobic, and transphobic speech during a parliamentary debate on 12 December 2016.

On 16 June 2023, the Athens Court of Appeal acquitted Panayote Dimitras and his colleague Ms Andrea Gilbert, GHM specialist on anti-Semitism, in another case of “false accusation” stemming from a complaint for “public incitement to violence or hatred” and “abuse of ecclesiastical office” that they had filed, in April 2017, against the Metropolitan Bishop of Piraeus Seraphim. In first instance, the two GHM members had been sentenced to a twelve-month prison sentence suspended for three years.

On 8 June 2023, the Three-Member Misdemeanours Court of Athens granted Mr Dimitras’ appeal against his referral to trial and dropped the charges of “false accusation” and “aggravated defamation” brought against him by a police officer after Mr Dimitras had filed a complaint against him in relation with a homophobic statement.

On 3 February 2023, the same court had granted Mr Dimitras’ appeal against his referral to trial following another complaint for “false accusation” and “aggravated defamation” filed, on 26 March 2019, by musician and actor Mr Yannis Zouganelis. In December 2018, Mr Dimitras had filed a complaint against Mr Zouganelis after he had made racist comments against Greece-based migrants in a television statement on 19 December 2018.

Currently, Panayote Dimitras is facing two additional lawsuits to those mentioned above and one criminal complaint. The first lawsuit stems from a complaint that he filed in 2021 against extreme-right leader Mr Failos Kranidiotis, after the politician had published a tweet in which he called all refugees “illegal plunderers”. In response to the complaint, Mr Kranidiotis filed a civil lawsuit against Mr Dimitras for “alleged insult” and requested 120,000 Euros for moral damage. On 20 October 2023, an Athens Multi-Member First Instance Court (with Judgment 3577/2023) ruled that the GHM complaint was libelous and awarded Mr Kranidiotis 3,000 Euros for moral damage. Mr Dimitras’ and Mr Kranidiotis’ appeals before the Athens Three-Member Appeals Court are to be heard on 18 September 2025. The second lawsuit was filed by Mr Kalyviotis seeking 25,000 Euros for moral damages and is pending before the courts. Moreover, Mr Dimitras is being accused in a criminal case of “forming or joining for profit and by profession a criminal organisation with the purpose of facilitating the entry and stay of third country nationals into Greek territory” for having provided humanitarian assistance to asylum seekers. The proceeding has resulted in severe preventive measures against him, including a 10,000 Euros bail, a ban to travel abroad and the freezing of one bank account which was lifted only after 18 months.

Several international institutions and human rights bodies have expressed concern over this latter case and the measures adopted therein, including: the European Parliament in its resolution of 7 February 2024 on the rule of law and media freedom in Greece (2024/2502(RSP)); the UN Human Rights Committee in the Concluding observations on the third periodic report of Greece of 28 November 2024 (CCPR/C/GRC/CO/3); and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in its Concluding observations on the combined twenty-third and twenty-fourth periodic reports of Greece of 24 December 2024 (CERD/C/GRC/CO/23-24).

The Observatory strongly condemns the continued judicial harassment against Panayote Dimitras, which appears to be solely aimed at silencing him and at obstructing his legitimate human rights work. The Observatory urges the Greek authorities to ensure the respect of Mr Dimitras’ rights to due process and fair trial, and to put an immediate end to the judicial harassment against him.

The Observatory also calls on the Greek authorities to protect human rights defenders from abusive proceedings, whose perpetrators should be brought to justice and, if found guilty, duly punished, and to guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders are able to carry out their legitimate activities without fear of reprisals, as also urged by the aforementioned human rights bodies.

]]> Cyprus: Joint appeal to drop the case against KISA co-founder Doros Polykarpou https://observatoryfordefenders.org/es/alert/cyprus-joint-appeal-to-drop-the-case-against-kisa-co-founder-doros-polykarpou/ Thu, 16 Jan 2025 19:18:39 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=22865 On 12 December 2024, several organisations, including the Observatory (FIDH-OMCT), expressed concern in a joint letter to Cyprus Attorney General Mr. Georgios L. Savvides regarding the prosecution of Doros Polykarpou, co-founder of KISA. Mr. Polykarpou, a prominent defender of migrants, refugees, and victims of trafficking in Cyprus, faces charges stemming from an incident at the Pournara First Reception Centre. Re: Request from international human rights organizations to drop the case (16767 – 2022) against human rights defender Doros Polykarpou 12 December 2024 Dear Attorney General Georgios L. Savvides, We, the undersigned international human rights organizations, are writing to express our grave concern regarding the ongoing criminal case (case number 16767 – 2022) against Doros Polykarpou, a prominent human rights defender and co-founder of KISA - Action for Equality, Support, Anti-Racism, which is one of Cyprus’s leading non-governmental organizations defending the rights of migrants, refugees, and victims of human trafficking. Doros Polykarpou is facing charges of misdemeanour acts of “trespassing”, “disturbance of peace”,“insult” and assaulting two security guards at the Pournara First Reception Centre during a visit on 12 March 2022. If convicted, he could face up to three years in prison. We are calling for the charges against him to be dropped as they appear to be unfounded and linked to his human rights work. The initial hearing, scheduled for 15 October 2024 has been postponed to 11 February 2025, due to the prosecution’s failure to provide the defence with video footage presented as evidence to the case file by the prosecutor’s office, despite Mr. Polykarpou’s lawyer having already requested access to this video footage in April 2024. This was the third hearing postponement since Mr. Polykarpou was first summoned in August 2022. We would like to use this opportunity to bring to your attention the details of this case – as they emerge from Polykarpou’s own defence and the account of Ms Espuche (coordinator of the European network Migreurop) and an eye witness on the day – as well as other contextual elements relating to the attacks and other challenges faced by Mr Polykarpou and by KISA, which are of relevance to this matter. We request that you take these elements into consideration in your review of the case and call on you to exercise your constitutional power and suspend the prosecution of the case against Mr Polykarpou. We also urge you to take into account that Mr Polykarpou’s presence in the unofficial part of the camp was solely linked with his routine human rights work. The incident which led to the prosecution of Mr. Polykarpou took place at the Pournara First Reception Centre on 12 March 2022, during which Mr. Polykarpou was accompanied by Ms. Brigitte Espuche. The incident involved the actions of two private security guards of the Centre. According to Mr Polykarpou, one of the guards had slapped him on the back asking if he remembered him and then subjected him to a physical and verbal attack despite Mr Polykarpou’s warnings asking him to refrain from this conduct. In her witness statement, Ms Espuche also described how Mr Polykarpou was violently pushed several times by the same guard. Shortly after, Mr Polykarpou and Ms Espuche were taken by the guards to a police post near to the camp’s exit. There, Mr Polykarpou stated that he would like to file a complaint against the guards. He was told by a police officer to wait in the office. After approximately twenty minutes, police told them to file a complaint at the Kokkinotrimithia police station. According to Mr Polykarpou, by asking them to wait, the policeattempted to stall and delay their complaint, so as to allow the two security guards to file their complaint first. Doros Polykarpou filed a complaint against the security guard at the local police station on the same day, 12 March 2022, but the complaint was archived by the prosecutor. Additionally, Ms. Espuche, who was present at the events, has submitted her written testimony to your department dated 14 March 2022, which was subsequently referred to the Chief of Police by your office on 6 May 2022. However, she was never asked to give her statement, and neither she nor several staff of the centre nor the asylum seekers present at the time of the event are listed as witnesses in Doros Polykarpou’s case. All witnesses listed in the indictment are either police officers, the security guards stationed at the reception centre or the staff of the Asylum Service. It is worth noting that the security guard who encountered Doros Polykarpou at the Centre was the same security guard against whom KISA has filed a complaint in relation to a case where two women asylum-seekers reported that the guard had used excessive force against them at the entrance of the Social Welfare Services in Lakatamia. According to Mr Polykarpou, the guard’s violent behaviour against him was an act of retaliation in response to an official complaint filed by KISA to the national police complaint mechanism regarding the handling of the two asylum-seekers’ complaint. It must also be noted that in January 2024, the office of KISA was targeted in a bombing attack, resulting in significant damage to property and archives. KISA reports that this attack did not happen in a vacuum but followed years of threats to the organization, including online and via email, by individuals linked to anti-immigration and nationalist groups. Despite this alarming incident, Cypriot authorities have not publicly condemned the attack, nor has there been any progress in the criminal investigation into it. EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson raised similar concerns with the authorities during her visit to the country that same month. Furthermore, none of the complaints filed by Doros Polykarpou against the individuals who threatened him were handled effectively. In February 2024, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor sent an official communication to the government of Cyprus expressing serious concern for the safety of KISA’s staff and underlining their worry and dismay at the alleged failure of the authorities to speak out in support of the human rights defenders in the aftermath of the attack. As recently as October 2024, the trial of Mr Polykarpou in this case was raised at the European Parliament by MEP Erik Marquardt highlighting concerns about the potentially political motivation behind it and an unfair trial. We are very concerned that the prosecution of Mr Polykarpou appears to have failed to include crucial evidence that would support the accused's version of the events, undermining his right to a fair trial. In May 2024 Front Line Defenders, which chairs ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union mechanism for human rights defenders at risk, recognized the work of Doros Polykarpou and KISA by honouring him with the 2024 Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk. We believe that the criminal procedure against Mr Polykarpou, in relation to the events of March 2022, is linked to his human rights work helping migrants, refugees and victims of trafficking. As such, we believe that it is inconsistent with international human rights law and standards, including the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.We, the undersigned international human rights organizations urge you to dismiss the charges against Doros Polykarpou and drop the case against him. Additionally, we call on the Cypriot authorities to:
  • Investigate the claims made by Doros Polykarpou against the security guard of the Pournara
  • Reception Centre and ensure that all relevant witnesses, including Brigitte Espuche from Migreurop, are allowed to testify;
  • Prevent and investigate any further physical and verbal threats, including through social media, against KISA and its former director Doros Polykarpou;
  • Guarantee that all human rights defenders can carry out their activities in Cyprus without fear of reprisals and free from undue restrictions, in line with Cyprus’ national, regional and international human rights obligations and commitments.
We remain at your disposal should you wish to discuss this case in more detail, and we look forward to your response. Kind regards,]]> On 12 December 2024, several organisations, including the Observatory (FIDH-OMCT), expressed concern in a joint letter to Cyprus Attorney General Mr. Georgios L. Savvides regarding the prosecution of Doros Polykarpou, co-founder of KISA. Mr. Polykarpou, a prominent defender of migrants, refugees, and victims of trafficking in Cyprus, faces charges stemming from an incident at the Pournara First Reception Centre. Re: Request from international human rights organizations to drop the case (16767 – 2022) against human rights defender Doros Polykarpou 12 December 2024 Dear Attorney General Georgios L. Savvides, We, the undersigned international human rights organizations, are writing to express our grave concern regarding the ongoing criminal case (case number 16767 – 2022) against Doros Polykarpou, a prominent human rights defender and co-founder of KISA - Action for Equality, Support, Anti-Racism, which is one of Cyprus’s leading non-governmental organizations defending the rights of migrants, refugees, and victims of human trafficking. Doros Polykarpou is facing charges of misdemeanour acts of “trespassing”, “disturbance of peace”,“insult” and assaulting two security guards at the Pournara First Reception Centre during a visit on 12 March 2022. If convicted, he could face up to three years in prison. We are calling for the charges against him to be dropped as they appear to be unfounded and linked to his human rights work. The initial hearing, scheduled for 15 October 2024 has been postponed to 11 February 2025, due to the prosecution’s failure to provide the defence with video footage presented as evidence to the case file by the prosecutor’s office, despite Mr. Polykarpou’s lawyer having already requested access to this video footage in April 2024. This was the third hearing postponement since Mr. Polykarpou was first summoned in August 2022. We would like to use this opportunity to bring to your attention the details of this case – as they emerge from Polykarpou’s own defence and the account of Ms Espuche (coordinator of the European network Migreurop) and an eye witness on the day – as well as other contextual elements relating to the attacks and other challenges faced by Mr Polykarpou and by KISA, which are of relevance to this matter. We request that you take these elements into consideration in your review of the case and call on you to exercise your constitutional power and suspend the prosecution of the case against Mr Polykarpou. We also urge you to take into account that Mr Polykarpou’s presence in the unofficial part of the camp was solely linked with his routine human rights work. The incident which led to the prosecution of Mr. Polykarpou took place at the Pournara First Reception Centre on 12 March 2022, during which Mr. Polykarpou was accompanied by Ms. Brigitte Espuche. The incident involved the actions of two private security guards of the Centre. According to Mr Polykarpou, one of the guards had slapped him on the back asking if he remembered him and then subjected him to a physical and verbal attack despite Mr Polykarpou’s warnings asking him to refrain from this conduct. In her witness statement, Ms Espuche also described how Mr Polykarpou was violently pushed several times by the same guard. Shortly after, Mr Polykarpou and Ms Espuche were taken by the guards to a police post near to the camp’s exit. There, Mr Polykarpou stated that he would like to file a complaint against the guards. He was told by a police officer to wait in the office. After approximately twenty minutes, police told them to file a complaint at the Kokkinotrimithia police station. According to Mr Polykarpou, by asking them to wait, the policeattempted to stall and delay their complaint, so as to allow the two security guards to file their complaint first. Doros Polykarpou filed a complaint against the security guard at the local police station on the same day, 12 March 2022, but the complaint was archived by the prosecutor. Additionally, Ms. Espuche, who was present at the events, has submitted her written testimony to your department dated 14 March 2022, which was subsequently referred to the Chief of Police by your office on 6 May 2022. However, she was never asked to give her statement, and neither she nor several staff of the centre nor the asylum seekers present at the time of the event are listed as witnesses in Doros Polykarpou’s case. All witnesses listed in the indictment are either police officers, the security guards stationed at the reception centre or the staff of the Asylum Service. It is worth noting that the security guard who encountered Doros Polykarpou at the Centre was the same security guard against whom KISA has filed a complaint in relation to a case where two women asylum-seekers reported that the guard had used excessive force against them at the entrance of the Social Welfare Services in Lakatamia. According to Mr Polykarpou, the guard’s violent behaviour against him was an act of retaliation in response to an official complaint filed by KISA to the national police complaint mechanism regarding the handling of the two asylum-seekers’ complaint. It must also be noted that in January 2024, the office of KISA was targeted in a bombing attack, resulting in significant damage to property and archives. KISA reports that this attack did not happen in a vacuum but followed years of threats to the organization, including online and via email, by individuals linked to anti-immigration and nationalist groups. Despite this alarming incident, Cypriot authorities have not publicly condemned the attack, nor has there been any progress in the criminal investigation into it. EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson raised similar concerns with the authorities during her visit to the country that same month. Furthermore, none of the complaints filed by Doros Polykarpou against the individuals who threatened him were handled effectively. In February 2024, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor sent an official communication to the government of Cyprus expressing serious concern for the safety of KISA’s staff and underlining their worry and dismay at the alleged failure of the authorities to speak out in support of the human rights defenders in the aftermath of the attack. As recently as October 2024, the trial of Mr Polykarpou in this case was raised at the European Parliament by MEP Erik Marquardt highlighting concerns about the potentially political motivation behind it and an unfair trial. We are very concerned that the prosecution of Mr Polykarpou appears to have failed to include crucial evidence that would support the accused's version of the events, undermining his right to a fair trial. In May 2024 Front Line Defenders, which chairs ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union mechanism for human rights defenders at risk, recognized the work of Doros Polykarpou and KISA by honouring him with the 2024 Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk. We believe that the criminal procedure against Mr Polykarpou, in relation to the events of March 2022, is linked to his human rights work helping migrants, refugees and victims of trafficking. As such, we believe that it is inconsistent with international human rights law and standards, including the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.We, the undersigned international human rights organizations urge you to dismiss the charges against Doros Polykarpou and drop the case against him. Additionally, we call on the Cypriot authorities to:
  • Investigate the claims made by Doros Polykarpou against the security guard of the Pournara
  • Reception Centre and ensure that all relevant witnesses, including Brigitte Espuche from Migreurop, are allowed to testify;
  • Prevent and investigate any further physical and verbal threats, including through social media, against KISA and its former director Doros Polykarpou;
  • Guarantee that all human rights defenders can carry out their activities in Cyprus without fear of reprisals and free from undue restrictions, in line with Cyprus’ national, regional and international human rights obligations and commitments.
We remain at your disposal should you wish to discuss this case in more detail, and we look forward to your response. Kind regards,]]> Thailand: Open Letter to the Royal Thai Government on the extradition of United Nations-recognized refugee Y Quynh Bdap https://observatoryfordefenders.org/es/alert/thailand-open-letter-to-the-royal-thai-government-on-the-extradition-of-united-nations-recognized-refugee-y-quynh-bdap/ Fri, 18 Oct 2024 18:58:50 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=23308 refoulement of people to a country where they would face a real risk of torture, other ill-treatment or other irreparable harm. Further, Mr. Bdap’s extradition would be contrary to Section 13 of Thailand’s. Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, which prohibits the extradition of individuals to countries where they may face torture, ill-treatment, or enforced disappearance. Human rights experts, including officials from the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand and United Nations experts, have expressed serious concerns over the real risk of egregious human rights violations against Mr. Bdap if he were to be extradited to Vietnam. Moreover, this case comes at a time when the Royal Thai Government has recently been elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2025-2027 term. The outcome of this case could impact Thailand’s image regarding its stated commitment to uphold international human rights law, including those commitments outlined by the Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations in its note verbale dated 10 May 2024. Thailand has demonstrated an admirable commitment to refugees over many decades, and for that reason, Mr. Bdap’s extradition to Vietnam would not be in keeping with Thailand’s reputation as a haven for people fleeing repression and violence. Mr. Bdap’s case is emblematic of broader issues faced by Vietnamese refugees, thousands of whom have fled to Thailand to escape persecution on religious, ethnic and political grounds. While we consider that, under international law, including international human rights law, States have an obligation to take measures to combat terrorism, we are concerned that Mr. Bdap’s extradition would embolden those who target and punish peaceful human rights activists like Mr. Bdap. We appreciate your attention to this letter and call on the Royal Thai Government to uphold its international and domestic legal obligations, and to preserve its international reputation as a human rights advocate, by declining to extradite Mr. Bdap to Vietnam.]]> refoulement of people to a country where they would face a real risk of torture, other ill-treatment or other irreparable harm. Further, Mr. Bdap’s extradition would be contrary to Section 13 of Thailand’s. Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, which prohibits the extradition of individuals to countries where they may face torture, ill-treatment, or enforced disappearance. Human rights experts, including officials from the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand and United Nations experts, have expressed serious concerns over the real risk of egregious human rights violations against Mr. Bdap if he were to be extradited to Vietnam. Moreover, this case comes at a time when the Royal Thai Government has recently been elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2025-2027 term. The outcome of this case could impact Thailand’s image regarding its stated commitment to uphold international human rights law, including those commitments outlined by the Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations in its note verbale dated 10 May 2024. Thailand has demonstrated an admirable commitment to refugees over many decades, and for that reason, Mr. Bdap’s extradition to Vietnam would not be in keeping with Thailand’s reputation as a haven for people fleeing repression and violence. Mr. Bdap’s case is emblematic of broader issues faced by Vietnamese refugees, thousands of whom have fled to Thailand to escape persecution on religious, ethnic and political grounds. While we consider that, under international law, including international human rights law, States have an obligation to take measures to combat terrorism, we are concerned that Mr. Bdap’s extradition would embolden those who target and punish peaceful human rights activists like Mr. Bdap. We appreciate your attention to this letter and call on the Royal Thai Government to uphold its international and domestic legal obligations, and to preserve its international reputation as a human rights advocate, by declining to extradite Mr. Bdap to Vietnam.]]> Greece: Continued judicial harassment of migrants’ rights defender Panayote Dimitras https://observatoryfordefenders.org/es/alert/greece-continued-judicial-harassment-of-migrants-rights-defender-panayote-dimitras/ Thu, 15 Aug 2024 08:38:08 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=22243 The recent summons by the Athens Magistrate marks a new development in Mr Dimitras’ long history of judicial harassment, this time also prospecting the criminal prosecution of his wife, constituting a major violation of their right to defend human rights as well as of the recently adopted European Union (EU) anti-SLAPP Directive. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT) urges the Greek authorities to put an immediate end to this practice of harassment and to ensure that all human rights defenders in the country can carry out their legitimate activities without hindrance or fear of reprisals. Paris-Geneva, August 14, 2024 - Panayote Dimitras is a Greek migrants’ rights defender and Spokesperson of the Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) who, over the past ten years, has faced continuous episodes of judicial harassment as well as vicious smear campaigns deliberately aimed at discrediting him and his work. In the latest development, Mr Dimitras and his wife – Nafsika Papanikolatou – were summoned on May 31, 2024, by an Athens Magistrate carrying out a preliminary criminal investigation into alleged breach of trust and money laundering (in violation of paragraph 1 of Article 390 of the Greek Criminal Code and paragraphs 1 b) and 1 c) of Article 39 of Law 4557/2018, respectively), following the opening of a criminal case by the Athens First Instance Prosecutor. Mr Dimitras and Ms Papanikolatou replied to the summons and their file is in the hands of the Athens First Instance Prosecutor since then. Exactly one year earlier, on May 31, 2023, the Greek Anti-Money Laundering Authority had already ordered the freezing of Mr Dimitras’ and Ms Papanikolatou’s personal account, pending an investigation into alleged misuse of donations to the Communication and Political Research Society (ETEPE) – a non-profit research organisation co-founded in 1990 by Mr Dimitras that manages human rights NGOs like GHM and Minority Rights Group - Greece (MRG-G). The same day the order was issued, Greek media published apparently leaked and inaccurate information about the case, reporting that all Mr Dimitras’ personal assets as well as those of the NGOs headed by him had been frozen, and that the alleged money laundering concerned funding received mainly from the EU “to support human rights causes” that “was used for other purposes than those claimed.” In fact, only a joint personal account of Mr Dimitras and Ms Papanikolatou had been frozen, and Mr Dimitras was accused of misusing, between 2010 and 2015, private donations to ETEPE amounting to 178.666,80 Euros and not EU funding. Mr Dimitras and Ms Papanikolatou received the official notification from the Anti-Money Laundering Authority only one month and a half after the decision to freeze their personal account was taken, thereby delaying their right to access a remedy. The account freeze was initially ordered for nine months and then renewed for another nine months in February 2024. At the time of publication of this statement, the freeze is still effective notwithstanding Mr Dimitras’ and Ms Papanikolatou’s repeated requests to terminate it. In another court case, the Three-Member Misdemeanours Court of Athens acquitted, in April 2024, Panayote Dimitras after five years of judicial harassment. Mr Dimitras was prosecuted under criminal charges of “false accusation” and “aggravated defamation” (Articles 229 and 363 of the Criminal Code of Greece, respectively) for having denounced racist comments from a public official, Christos Kalyviotis, who in return filed a complaint against Mr Dimitras for defamation. The Observatory recalled, already at that time, that the procedure initiated by Mr Kalyviotis was only one of many abusive cases brought against Mr Dimitras over the past few years and constitutive of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), abusive civil proceedings aimed at criminalising human rights defenders and journalists. Notably, since November 2022 a criminal case is ongoing against Panayote Dimitras at the Kos Court of First Instance in which he is accused of “forming or joining for profit and by profession a criminal organisation with the purpose of facilitating the entry and stay of third country nationals into Greek territory” under several articles of Law 4251/2014 (Immigration and Social Integration Code), for having provided humanitarian assistance to asylum-seekers. On January 23, 2023, preventive measures were imposed pending trial. Mr Dimitras was banned from carrying out activities with the GHM, a measure which was subsequently lifted. He was also banned from leaving the country, subjected to the obligation to report to the police station of his place of residence every 15 days, and required to pay a bail of 10,000 Euros. More than one-and-a-half year later, these last three measures are still in place, with the consequence that Mr Dimitras cannot travel abroad for GHM human rights activities. In August 2023, he requested that the travel ban be lifted so that he could attend international meetings, and to be allowed temporarily to report to the police station in Kelafonia, where he has a summer home. Both requests were rejected by the First Instance Court of Kos. The European Parliament expressed concern about these measures in its resolution of February 7, 2024, on the rule of law and media freedom in Greece (2024/2502(RSP)). The responses provided by the Supreme Court and the Greek government to the resolution are of particular concern and seem to constitute both smear campaigns against Mr Dimitras as well as violations to his right to a fair trial, as it was falsely claimed that he had been arrested and that he had contacted a human smuggler. The Observatory recalls that the anti-SLAPP Directive adopted by the European Parliament entered into force on May 6, 2024. The Observatory encourages the Greek authorities to bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive and to ensure its effective implementation to protect human rights defenders from abusive proceedings. The Observatory expresses concern about the continued judicial harassment against Mr Dimitras and its recent enlargement towards his wife. The Observatory urges the Greek authorities to put an immediate end to all acts of harassment against Panayote Dimitras and Nafsika Papanikolatou and to allow their free exercise of the right to defend human rights.]]> The recent summons by the Athens Magistrate marks a new development in Mr Dimitras’ long history of judicial harassment, this time also prospecting the criminal prosecution of his wife, constituting a major violation of their right to defend human rights as well as of the recently adopted European Union (EU) anti-SLAPP Directive. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT) urges the Greek authorities to put an immediate end to this practice of harassment and to ensure that all human rights defenders in the country can carry out their legitimate activities without hindrance or fear of reprisals. Paris-Geneva, August 14, 2024 - Panayote Dimitras is a Greek migrants’ rights defender and Spokesperson of the Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) who, over the past ten years, has faced continuous episodes of judicial harassment as well as vicious smear campaigns deliberately aimed at discrediting him and his work. In the latest development, Mr Dimitras and his wife – Nafsika Papanikolatou – were summoned on May 31, 2024, by an Athens Magistrate carrying out a preliminary criminal investigation into alleged breach of trust and money laundering (in violation of paragraph 1 of Article 390 of the Greek Criminal Code and paragraphs 1 b) and 1 c) of Article 39 of Law 4557/2018, respectively), following the opening of a criminal case by the Athens First Instance Prosecutor. Mr Dimitras and Ms Papanikolatou replied to the summons and their file is in the hands of the Athens First Instance Prosecutor since then. Exactly one year earlier, on May 31, 2023, the Greek Anti-Money Laundering Authority had already ordered the freezing of Mr Dimitras’ and Ms Papanikolatou’s personal account, pending an investigation into alleged misuse of donations to the Communication and Political Research Society (ETEPE) – a non-profit research organisation co-founded in 1990 by Mr Dimitras that manages human rights NGOs like GHM and Minority Rights Group - Greece (MRG-G). The same day the order was issued, Greek media published apparently leaked and inaccurate information about the case, reporting that all Mr Dimitras’ personal assets as well as those of the NGOs headed by him had been frozen, and that the alleged money laundering concerned funding received mainly from the EU “to support human rights causes” that “was used for other purposes than those claimed.” In fact, only a joint personal account of Mr Dimitras and Ms Papanikolatou had been frozen, and Mr Dimitras was accused of misusing, between 2010 and 2015, private donations to ETEPE amounting to 178.666,80 Euros and not EU funding. Mr Dimitras and Ms Papanikolatou received the official notification from the Anti-Money Laundering Authority only one month and a half after the decision to freeze their personal account was taken, thereby delaying their right to access a remedy. The account freeze was initially ordered for nine months and then renewed for another nine months in February 2024. At the time of publication of this statement, the freeze is still effective notwithstanding Mr Dimitras’ and Ms Papanikolatou’s repeated requests to terminate it. In another court case, the Three-Member Misdemeanours Court of Athens acquitted, in April 2024, Panayote Dimitras after five years of judicial harassment. Mr Dimitras was prosecuted under criminal charges of “false accusation” and “aggravated defamation” (Articles 229 and 363 of the Criminal Code of Greece, respectively) for having denounced racist comments from a public official, Christos Kalyviotis, who in return filed a complaint against Mr Dimitras for defamation. The Observatory recalled, already at that time, that the procedure initiated by Mr Kalyviotis was only one of many abusive cases brought against Mr Dimitras over the past few years and constitutive of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), abusive civil proceedings aimed at criminalising human rights defenders and journalists. Notably, since November 2022 a criminal case is ongoing against Panayote Dimitras at the Kos Court of First Instance in which he is accused of “forming or joining for profit and by profession a criminal organisation with the purpose of facilitating the entry and stay of third country nationals into Greek territory” under several articles of Law 4251/2014 (Immigration and Social Integration Code), for having provided humanitarian assistance to asylum-seekers. On January 23, 2023, preventive measures were imposed pending trial. Mr Dimitras was banned from carrying out activities with the GHM, a measure which was subsequently lifted. He was also banned from leaving the country, subjected to the obligation to report to the police station of his place of residence every 15 days, and required to pay a bail of 10,000 Euros. More than one-and-a-half year later, these last three measures are still in place, with the consequence that Mr Dimitras cannot travel abroad for GHM human rights activities. In August 2023, he requested that the travel ban be lifted so that he could attend international meetings, and to be allowed temporarily to report to the police station in Kelafonia, where he has a summer home. Both requests were rejected by the First Instance Court of Kos. The European Parliament expressed concern about these measures in its resolution of February 7, 2024, on the rule of law and media freedom in Greece (2024/2502(RSP)). The responses provided by the Supreme Court and the Greek government to the resolution are of particular concern and seem to constitute both smear campaigns against Mr Dimitras as well as violations to his right to a fair trial, as it was falsely claimed that he had been arrested and that he had contacted a human smuggler. The Observatory recalls that the anti-SLAPP Directive adopted by the European Parliament entered into force on May 6, 2024. The Observatory encourages the Greek authorities to bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive and to ensure its effective implementation to protect human rights defenders from abusive proceedings. The Observatory expresses concern about the continued judicial harassment against Mr Dimitras and its recent enlargement towards his wife. The Observatory urges the Greek authorities to put an immediate end to all acts of harassment against Panayote Dimitras and Nafsika Papanikolatou and to allow their free exercise of the right to defend human rights.]]> Greece: International experts to observe appeal hearing of two human rights defenders criminalised by the authorities https://observatoryfordefenders.org/es/alert/greece-international-experts-to-observe-appeal-hearing-of-two-human-rights-defenders-criminalised-by-the-authorities/ Fri, 16 Jun 2023 15:07:38 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=20482 Paris-Geneva, June 16, 2023 - The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), will observe today the appeal hearing of Mr Panayote Dimitras and Ms Andrea Gilbert, Spokesperson of the Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) and GHM specialist on anti-Semitism, respectively, at the Athens Court of Appeal in Greece. Human rights defenders, particularly those who denounce hate speech and work for the protection and defense of minorities, migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers’ rights, are subjected to severe criminalisation and judicial harassment in Greece. Mr Dimitras and Ms Gilbert are two among them. On February 15, 2022, the Three-Member Misdemeanours Court of Athens imposed them a twelve-month prison sentence suspended for three years on the charge of “false accusation” (Article 229 of the Criminal Code of Greece). They appealed this decision, and the Athens Court of Appeal will hear the case today, June 16, 2023. Two Observatory representatives will observe the hearing. “The Greek Helsinki Monitor and its members have been under the authorities’ radar for more than a decade simply for exercising their right to defend human rights. Their targeting is not an isolated incident but part of a wider context of criminalisation and harassment against human rights defenders in the country,” said Gerald Staberock, OMCT Secretary General. The judicial procedure against both human rights defenders is related to a complaint for “public incitement to violence or hatred” and “abuse of ecclesiastical office” they filed in April 2017 before the Department for Combating Racist Violence (Attica Division) of the Hellenic Police against the Metropolitan Bishop of Piraeus Seraphim. According to GHM’s complaint, the content of a public statement the Bishop made on April 27, 2017, was antisemitic and incited discrimination, hatred, or violence against Jewish people in a way that endangered public order or posed a threat to lives, liberty of physical integrity. Nonetheless, while the Greek authorities archived the complaint, the public prosecutor brought the charge of “false accusation” against Mr Dimitras and Ms Gilbert and referred them to trial without previously investigating, as prescribed by law. The prosecutor framed the Metropolitan Bishop of Piraeus Seraphim’s statements as “part of the Church doctrine”. “The systematic harassment of human rights defenders, and particularly of defenders of the rights of minorities and migrants in Greece, is indefensible. We call for all cases against the Greek Helsinki Monitor and its associates to be immediately closed, and on the authorities to guarantee an enabling environment for the defense of human rights", said Alice Mogwe, FIDH President. In fact, since November 2022, Panayote Dimitras faces serious criminal charges in a separate case as reprisals for his work defending migrants’ rights. This takes place in a context of systematic violations of international human rights standards by the Greek authorities, including illegal pushbacks and collective expulsions of migrants. As the investigations into Dimitras’ legitimate human rights activities are ongoing, he has been imposed several restrictive and disproportionate measures, which include a travel ban, a duty to report to the police twice a month, a €10,000 bail, and a prohibition to work with the GHM and to carry out any activity on behalf of the organisation. Recently some Greek media published leaked information about an alleged asset freeze imposed on him and his organisation. To date, Dimitras has not received any official notification. The Observatory urges the Greek authorities to guarantee and comply with internationally recognised human rights standards of fair trial and due process and to fully adhere to and respect the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.]]> Paris-Geneva, June 16, 2023 - The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), will observe today the appeal hearing of Mr Panayote Dimitras and Ms Andrea Gilbert, Spokesperson of the Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) and GHM specialist on anti-Semitism, respectively, at the Athens Court of Appeal in Greece. Human rights defenders, particularly those who denounce hate speech and work for the protection and defense of minorities, migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers’ rights, are subjected to severe criminalisation and judicial harassment in Greece. Mr Dimitras and Ms Gilbert are two among them. On February 15, 2022, the Three-Member Misdemeanours Court of Athens imposed them a twelve-month prison sentence suspended for three years on the charge of “false accusation” (Article 229 of the Criminal Code of Greece). They appealed this decision, and the Athens Court of Appeal will hear the case today, June 16, 2023. Two Observatory representatives will observe the hearing. “The Greek Helsinki Monitor and its members have been under the authorities’ radar for more than a decade simply for exercising their right to defend human rights. Their targeting is not an isolated incident but part of a wider context of criminalisation and harassment against human rights defenders in the country,” said Gerald Staberock, OMCT Secretary General. The judicial procedure against both human rights defenders is related to a complaint for “public incitement to violence or hatred” and “abuse of ecclesiastical office” they filed in April 2017 before the Department for Combating Racist Violence (Attica Division) of the Hellenic Police against the Metropolitan Bishop of Piraeus Seraphim. According to GHM’s complaint, the content of a public statement the Bishop made on April 27, 2017, was antisemitic and incited discrimination, hatred, or violence against Jewish people in a way that endangered public order or posed a threat to lives, liberty of physical integrity. Nonetheless, while the Greek authorities archived the complaint, the public prosecutor brought the charge of “false accusation” against Mr Dimitras and Ms Gilbert and referred them to trial without previously investigating, as prescribed by law. The prosecutor framed the Metropolitan Bishop of Piraeus Seraphim’s statements as “part of the Church doctrine”. “The systematic harassment of human rights defenders, and particularly of defenders of the rights of minorities and migrants in Greece, is indefensible. We call for all cases against the Greek Helsinki Monitor and its associates to be immediately closed, and on the authorities to guarantee an enabling environment for the defense of human rights", said Alice Mogwe, FIDH President. In fact, since November 2022, Panayote Dimitras faces serious criminal charges in a separate case as reprisals for his work defending migrants’ rights. This takes place in a context of systematic violations of international human rights standards by the Greek authorities, including illegal pushbacks and collective expulsions of migrants. As the investigations into Dimitras’ legitimate human rights activities are ongoing, he has been imposed several restrictive and disproportionate measures, which include a travel ban, a duty to report to the police twice a month, a €10,000 bail, and a prohibition to work with the GHM and to carry out any activity on behalf of the organisation. Recently some Greek media published leaked information about an alleged asset freeze imposed on him and his organisation. To date, Dimitras has not received any official notification. The Observatory urges the Greek authorities to guarantee and comply with internationally recognised human rights standards of fair trial and due process and to fully adhere to and respect the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.]]> Greece: Judicial harassment of migrants’ rights defenders Panayote Dimitras and Tommy Olsen https://observatoryfordefenders.org/es/alert/greece-judicial-harassment-of-migrants-rights-defenders-panayote-dimitras-and-tommy-olsen/ Fri, 23 Dec 2022 12:35:18 +0000 https://observatoryfordefenders.org/?post_type=alert&p=19750 Panayote Dimitras and Mr Tommy Olsen in retaliation for their work defending migrants’ rights. Mr Dimitras is the GHM co-founder and spokesperson, and a member of the OMCT’s General Assembly. Mr Olsen is the founder of Aegean Boat Report, a Norwegian NGO founded in 2018 that monitors the attempts of migrant individuals to cross the Aegean Sea, as well as the human rights violations committed against them, including illegal pushbacks. On December 20, 2022, Panayote Dimitras appeared for interrogation before the Investigating Judge of the Kos Court of First Instance in the framework of a criminal case opened against him. He is accused of “forming or joining for profit and by profession a criminal organisation with the purpose of facilitating the entry and stay of third country nationals into Greek territory” under Articles 1, 12, 13(e), 14, 16, 17, 18, 26(a), 27, 45, 50, 51, 52, 53, 57, 79, 80, 94, 187 para. 1 of Law 4251/2014, also called Immigration and Social Integration Code. Panayote Dimitras has been banned from carrying out any of GHM’s activities as a preventive measure pending trial. The prosecutor further requested house arrest for Mr Dimitras, while the investigative judge requested a ban on leaving the country, a 10,000 Euro bail, and by-weekly reporting to the police. A judicial council will arbitrate the remaining preventive measures to be imposed on Mr Dimitras in the upcoming days. The Investigative Judge of Kos has opened a criminal investigation into Mr Tommy Olsen’s human rights activities in the framework of the same criminal case. The indictment bill issued by the Investigative Judge of Kos against Panayote Dimitras mentions that Tommy Olsen would have “facilitated the entry and residence of third country nationals into Greek territory” in cooperation with Mr Dimitras and two alleged human traffickers. The indictment further states that Mr Olsen would have sent a “message via e-mail to the Greek authorities including the details of the third country citizens, as well as their location in order for them to join the asylum procedures”. At the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal, Tommy Olsen had not received any official information about the criminal investigations and cases initiated against him. These accusations relate to the alerts issued by Mr Dimitras to the Hellenic Police, the Coast Guard, the Greek migration authorities, the UN Refugee Agency in Greece and the Greek Ombudsman about the arrival of migrant individuals in the Greek islands of Kos and Farmakonisi on July 13, 2021. Mr Dimitras sent several emails to the above-mentioned authorities listing the names and nationality of the migrant individuals traveling on floating boats towards Greece in order to apply for asylum. In his emails, Mr Dimitras explicitly mentioned that the migrant individuals had contacted GHM to alert the organisation about their situation, that is, their presence on the islands, as well as their wish to apply for asylum. The case file includes details about the Investigating Judge of Kos’ request to the Investigating Judge of Lesbos to provide information about a second criminal investigation against Tommy Olsen, as well as humanitarian and health care workers Ms Madi Williamson and Ms Ruhi Loren Akhtar, for “facilitating the illegal entry of foreigners into Greek territory through the Northeastern islands of the Aegean Sea”. None of them have been officially notified about this case. The Observatory recalls that on October 10, 2022, Greece’s largest national newspaper Kathimerini, published leaked information about two criminal investigations and subsequent criminal cases allegedly filed against Panayote Dimitras and “a national of a Northern European country” on charges of “facilitating the entry of third country nationals into Greek territory" under Law 4251/2014 of Greece. The article did not mention Mr Dimitras’ name explicitly but used vague terms to describe him, including “the head of a human rights NGO” or “Greek head of the NGO. According to the newspaper, the investigations were initiated by the Greek Coast Guard jointly with the National Intelligence Service and were subsequently submitted to “the relevant prosecutor’s office”. The article further stated that the two criminal cases were at the hands of the investigating judge in the city of Kos. Panayote Dimitras did not receive any official information about the criminal investigation and case initiated against him until November 18, 2022, and was given access to the case file only on December 9, 2022. The Observatory strongly condemns the judicial harassment and smear campaigns against Panayote Dimitras, Tommy Olsen, Madi Williamson, Ruhi Loren Akhtar and all migrants’ rights defenders in Greece, as well as the ongoing denial of rights to migrants and their subsequent exposure to torture and ill-treatment in the context of collective and illegal expulsions. Non-governmental organisations that work on migrants’ rights play an essential role to defend the human rights of people on the move in a context of systematic violations of international human rights standards by the Greek authorities, including illegal pushbacks and collective expulsions of migrants, as denounced in 2020 by the UN Committee Against Torture (UNCAT).The Greek state has consistently failed to submit the information concerning the alleged intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders and humanitarian workers and volunteers that was required by the UNCAT. Yet, migrants’ rights defenders have been heavily criminalised for years. They have consistently been targeted for their legitimate work and have faced different types of attacks, including surveillance, judicial harassment, smear campaigns, entry bans and expulsion of the country. The Greek investigative authorities often leak alleged criminal investigations initiated against migrants’ rights defenders to the media, creating a climate of fear and a chilling effect among all rights defenders, as documented by the Observatory in its 2021 report “Europe: Open Season on Solidarity”. In several of these cases the human rights defenders have not been informed nor summoned to testify. The Observatory calls on the Greek authorities to put an immediate end to the harassment, including at the judicial level, against Panayote Dimitras, Tommy Olsen, Madi Williamson, Ruhi Loren Akhtar as well as all NGOs and volunteers working in the country in the field of humanitarian assistance to migrants and asylum-seekers. The Observatory further calls on the authorities to guarantee in all circumstances that they are able to carry out their legitimate human rights and humanitarian activities without fear of reprisals.]]> Panayote Dimitras and Mr Tommy Olsen in retaliation for their work defending migrants’ rights. Mr Dimitras is the GHM co-founder and spokesperson, and a member of the OMCT’s General Assembly. Mr Olsen is the founder of Aegean Boat Report, a Norwegian NGO founded in 2018 that monitors the attempts of migrant individuals to cross the Aegean Sea, as well as the human rights violations committed against them, including illegal pushbacks. On December 20, 2022, Panayote Dimitras appeared for interrogation before the Investigating Judge of the Kos Court of First Instance in the framework of a criminal case opened against him. He is accused of “forming or joining for profit and by profession a criminal organisation with the purpose of facilitating the entry and stay of third country nationals into Greek territory” under Articles 1, 12, 13(e), 14, 16, 17, 18, 26(a), 27, 45, 50, 51, 52, 53, 57, 79, 80, 94, 187 para. 1 of Law 4251/2014, also called Immigration and Social Integration Code. Panayote Dimitras has been banned from carrying out any of GHM’s activities as a preventive measure pending trial. The prosecutor further requested house arrest for Mr Dimitras, while the investigative judge requested a ban on leaving the country, a 10,000 Euro bail, and by-weekly reporting to the police. A judicial council will arbitrate the remaining preventive measures to be imposed on Mr Dimitras in the upcoming days. The Investigative Judge of Kos has opened a criminal investigation into Mr Tommy Olsen’s human rights activities in the framework of the same criminal case. The indictment bill issued by the Investigative Judge of Kos against Panayote Dimitras mentions that Tommy Olsen would have “facilitated the entry and residence of third country nationals into Greek territory” in cooperation with Mr Dimitras and two alleged human traffickers. The indictment further states that Mr Olsen would have sent a “message via e-mail to the Greek authorities including the details of the third country citizens, as well as their location in order for them to join the asylum procedures”. At the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal, Tommy Olsen had not received any official information about the criminal investigations and cases initiated against him. These accusations relate to the alerts issued by Mr Dimitras to the Hellenic Police, the Coast Guard, the Greek migration authorities, the UN Refugee Agency in Greece and the Greek Ombudsman about the arrival of migrant individuals in the Greek islands of Kos and Farmakonisi on July 13, 2021. Mr Dimitras sent several emails to the above-mentioned authorities listing the names and nationality of the migrant individuals traveling on floating boats towards Greece in order to apply for asylum. In his emails, Mr Dimitras explicitly mentioned that the migrant individuals had contacted GHM to alert the organisation about their situation, that is, their presence on the islands, as well as their wish to apply for asylum. The case file includes details about the Investigating Judge of Kos’ request to the Investigating Judge of Lesbos to provide information about a second criminal investigation against Tommy Olsen, as well as humanitarian and health care workers Ms Madi Williamson and Ms Ruhi Loren Akhtar, for “facilitating the illegal entry of foreigners into Greek territory through the Northeastern islands of the Aegean Sea”. None of them have been officially notified about this case. The Observatory recalls that on October 10, 2022, Greece’s largest national newspaper Kathimerini, published leaked information about two criminal investigations and subsequent criminal cases allegedly filed against Panayote Dimitras and “a national of a Northern European country” on charges of “facilitating the entry of third country nationals into Greek territory" under Law 4251/2014 of Greece. The article did not mention Mr Dimitras’ name explicitly but used vague terms to describe him, including “the head of a human rights NGO” or “Greek head of the NGO. According to the newspaper, the investigations were initiated by the Greek Coast Guard jointly with the National Intelligence Service and were subsequently submitted to “the relevant prosecutor’s office”. The article further stated that the two criminal cases were at the hands of the investigating judge in the city of Kos. Panayote Dimitras did not receive any official information about the criminal investigation and case initiated against him until November 18, 2022, and was given access to the case file only on December 9, 2022. The Observatory strongly condemns the judicial harassment and smear campaigns against Panayote Dimitras, Tommy Olsen, Madi Williamson, Ruhi Loren Akhtar and all migrants’ rights defenders in Greece, as well as the ongoing denial of rights to migrants and their subsequent exposure to torture and ill-treatment in the context of collective and illegal expulsions. Non-governmental organisations that work on migrants’ rights play an essential role to defend the human rights of people on the move in a context of systematic violations of international human rights standards by the Greek authorities, including illegal pushbacks and collective expulsions of migrants, as denounced in 2020 by the UN Committee Against Torture (UNCAT).The Greek state has consistently failed to submit the information concerning the alleged intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders and humanitarian workers and volunteers that was required by the UNCAT. Yet, migrants’ rights defenders have been heavily criminalised for years. They have consistently been targeted for their legitimate work and have faced different types of attacks, including surveillance, judicial harassment, smear campaigns, entry bans and expulsion of the country. The Greek investigative authorities often leak alleged criminal investigations initiated against migrants’ rights defenders to the media, creating a climate of fear and a chilling effect among all rights defenders, as documented by the Observatory in its 2021 report “Europe: Open Season on Solidarity”. In several of these cases the human rights defenders have not been informed nor summoned to testify. The Observatory calls on the Greek authorities to put an immediate end to the harassment, including at the judicial level, against Panayote Dimitras, Tommy Olsen, Madi Williamson, Ruhi Loren Akhtar as well as all NGOs and volunteers working in the country in the field of humanitarian assistance to migrants and asylum-seekers. The Observatory further calls on the authorities to guarantee in all circumstances that they are able to carry out their legitimate human rights and humanitarian activities without fear of reprisals.]]>