ABTTF President: “We are strongly disappointed that this year’s report, which has been significantly narrowed in scope, fails to address the issues and human rights violations facing our community. As in previous years, ABTTF will prepare a parallel report on the content of the report on Greece and convey the issues facing our community in the area of human and minority rights to the relevant U.S. authorities in detail.”
The Department of State of the United States of America has released its 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, which examines the state of human rights around the world on a country-by-country basis.
Compared to previous years, the report has undergone further changes in structure, and its scope has been significantly narrowed. The report on Greece does not mention the Turkish community in Western Thrace, nor the issues it faces.
The report on Greece, which was 46 pages long last year but has been reduced to 16 pages this year, includes an executive summary which states that there were no significant change in the human rights situation in Greece and that the government has taken regular steps to investigate, prosecute and punish officials who committed human rights abuses.
The report notes that freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Constitution and law in Greece, including for members of the press and other media, and that the government generally respects this right. However, it does not mention ongoing concerns about the independence of state-owned media outlets and the safety of journalists, nor does it refer to the wiretapping scandal.
The report further indicates that although the government does not censor the media, major outlets tended not to publish unflattering news. It explains that humanitarian groups attribute this situation to pressure from media owners, concerns about safety or job security, or vulnerability to criminal defamation.
This year’s report mentions freedom of association only under the heading of worker rights, stating that the current law provided workers the right to form and join independent unions, to conduct their labour activities without interference, and to go on strike.
The report, which does not address issues related to freedom of religion, refers directly to the U.S. Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report for violations of religious freedom.
“The content of the U.S. Department of State’s 2024 Greece Country Report on Human Rights Practices is biased, lacks objectivity, and is pro-government, completely disregarding the human rights violations and systematic violations of the rule of law in our country. We are strongly disappointed that this year’s report, which has been significantly narrowed in scope, fails to address the issues and human rights violations facing our community. As in previous years, ABTTF will prepare a parallel report on the content of the report on Greece and convey the issues facing our community in the area of human and minority rights to the relevant U.S. authorities in detail’’, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
Please click below for the 2024 Greece Country Report on Human Rights Practices:
https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/greece/
