Fourteen human rights and media freedom organisations issued a joint statement on the latest report with respect to the state of the rule of law in Greece published by the European Commission on 24 July 2024, indicating that the report misleads readers by ignoring the critical issues facing media freedom and civil society.
The joint statement released recently notes that the overly positive account of the European Commission’s report contrasts sharply with the alarming reality experienced by journalists, activists and civil society organisations on the ground and the growing international concern about the deterioration of the rule of law in Greece.
It is further added in the joint statement that the European Commission’s report ignores the stark discrepancy between the Greek government’s self-reported data and the alarming accounts submitted to the European Commission by civil society organisations and journalists and disproportionately focuses on the positive developments without weighing them against the broader systemic issues and ongoing violations. The joint statement further explains that this raises concerns about the European Commission’s willingness to uphold the rule of law and fundamental rights in Greece.
Noting that civil society organisations and human rights defenders, particularly those working on migration issues, face significant obstacles and even criminal charges for their work in Greece, the joint statement indicates that the European Commission’s report fails to adequately address the detrimental effect of these chilling tactics on freedom of expression and association in Greece.
Furthermore, the joint statement underlines that the incoming European Commission should take a stronger stance on upholding its commitment to fundamental rights and democratic values in the Member States, including by publicly condemning specific instances of press freedom restrictions, civil society crackdowns or rule of law violations.
The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), which actively participated in the public consultation process for the civil society organisations and other stakeholders regarding the European Commission’s 2024 Rule of Law Report, submitted its written contribution to the European Commission for the chapter report on Greece. In its written contribution, ABTTF underscored that Greece has not executed the ECtHR judgments with respect to the Bekir-Ousta and Others group of cases, which includes Western Thrace Turkish associations, since 2008 and violated the freedom of association of the Turkish community.
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