ABTTF President: “As directly referenced in the reports of the GNCHR and the European Commission, our country, by persistently failing to execute the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgments against it, is systematically violating the rule of law. The most striking example of this is undoubtedly the Bekir-Ousta and Others group of cases, which concerns the violation of the freedom of association of the Turkish community in Western Thrace, which is subject to enhanced monitoring by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe’’.
The Greek National Commission for Human Rights (GNCHR) has published its annual report on the rule of law in Greece. The GNCHR’s findings, which highlight the ongoing challenges and structural issues regarding the rule of law in Greece in 2025, were also reflected in the European Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Country Report on Greece.
The GNCHR report underlines the gradual narrowing of the civil society space in the country, legislative initiatives that risk criminalising humanitarian aid activities, delays in the execution of both national court judgments and those of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), and persistent shortcomings in the functioning of the judicial system.
The report highlights that Greece continues to face increased scrutiny regarding the implementation of ECtHR judgments, particularly in the areas of police accountability, conditions of detention, asylum procedures, freedom of association and non-compliance with national court rulings.
The report notes that, in light of its ever-expanding remit, the GNCHR’s institutional independence and resources must be strengthened, and Greek national authorities are advised to establish a clear and protective legal and institutional framework for human rights defenders and civil society organisations (CSOs), to actively safeguard democratic discourse, to address structural shortcomings in the judicial system, and to guarantee media freedom.
“In this report, published following its 2025 annual report, the GNCHR lays bare the ongoing problems regarding the rule of law and judicial independence in our country, Greece. As directly referenced in the reports of the GNCHR and the European Commission, our country, by persistently failing to execute the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgments against it, is systematically violating the rule of law. The most striking example of this is undoubtedly the Bekir-Ousta and Others group of cases, which concerns the violation of the freedom of association of the Turkish community in Western Thrace, which is subject to enhanced monitoring by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Our country has failed to execute the ECtHR judgments in this group of cases for over 18 years, despite all the warnings from the Committee of Ministers, thereby disregarding its obligations arising from the European Convention on Human Rights, to which it is a party’’, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
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