ABTTF President: “Our country should take into account the justified and constructive criticism regarding the state of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the reports of the supranational organisations and international civil society organisations of which it is a member, and should take the necessary steps without delay to counter this negative trend”.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has published its 2026 World Report. The report, which assesses developments in the field of human rights worldwide in 2025, indicates that the European Union (EU) institutions’ failure to prioritise human rights has seriously undermined the rule of law, democratic space and the protection of fundamental rights.
The report’s section on Greece highlights that the rule of law in the country has deteriorated due to the government’s actions, which have undermined democratic institutions and harmed human rights. The report highlights the Greek government’s interference with media freedom and its pressure on civil society, the lack of accountability in cases such as the Tempi train crash and the Pylos shipwreck, distrust in the judiciary, intimidation against journalists, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), and the impunity of those responsible for the Predator surveillance scandal.
The report notes that Greece ranks last in the European Union for the fourth consecutive year in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) press freedom index, noting that journalists face constant challenges such as intimidation and harassment, state surveillance, abusiver lawsuits and government interference, all of which contribute to self-censorship.
The report points out that in May 2025, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe warned against the harassment of human rights defenders by Greek authorities and called on the authorities to end the criminalisation of human rights defenders. It is noted that criminal proceedings against human rights defenders Panayote Dimitras and Tommy Olsen, who exposed violations occurring at Greece’s borders, are still pending.
“As a result of the successive legal scandals and systematic violations of the rule of law in our country, the vast majority of the public does not trust the government, the national assembly or the judiciary. As the Turkish community in Western Thrace, we too are facing first-hand the negative consequences of our country’s gradual drift away from democracy and the rule of law in recent years. Our country has failed to execute the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights regarding our associations for the past 18 years, disregarding international law. Leading representatives and rights defenders of our community are being directly targeted in the political and the media circles, with cases being brought against them for the purpose of intimidation. Our country should take into account the justified and constructive criticism regarding the state of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the reports of the supranational organisations and international civil society organisations of which it is a member, and should take the necessary steps without delay to counter this negative trend’’, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
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