35 Refugees from Hotspot Moria Lesvos, arrested and brought to prisons in Athens and Chios after Police violence

http://www.legalcentrelesbos.org/2017/07/30/free-the-moria-35/

FREE THE MORIA 35

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30th July 2017 By Maya Thomas-Davis
 

On Tuesday 18th July 2017, 35 refugees in Moria camp, Lesvos, were
arrested. For the second day in a row, protesters sat outside the
European Asylum Support Office inside the camp, holding banners
denouncing dehumanising conditions, and calling for freedom of movement
for those kept on the island for over 6 months. Following this peaceful
exercise of the right to protest, there were clashes between a handful
of protesters and Greek riot police. Police forces then carried out
raids of Isoboxes, and made 35 arrests. Images and videos showing police
using excessive force during clashes with protesters and brutal violence
during raids and arrests including beatings with police batons and
boots, have been published in international media and on social
media.Many of the 35 arrested were not present at the morning’s peaceful
protest, let alone the clashes between a small number of protesters and
riot police that ensued. This led observers to conclude the arrests were
arbitrary; people were targeted because of race, nationality, and
location within the camp at the time of police raids. 34 of the 35
people arrested were black. Many of the 35 report having been brutally
beaten by police during raids, arrests and/or in police custody. 11 have
filed official complaints of police brutality, and forensic medical
examinations have been ordered. One individual was hospitalised for over
a week, and many have needed urgent medical attention. Given the
mounting evidence of police brutality, Amnesty International has
published a report urging Greek authorities to conduct an immediate
investigation into allegations of excessive use of force amounting to
possible torture: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur25/6845/2017/en/

During the preliminary hearings on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd of
July, 31 of the 35 people arrested were charged with exaggerated crimes
of arson, attempted assault, resisting arrest, rioting, damage to
private property and disturbing the public peace. These charges carry
disproportionately heavy sentences if convicted, and could additionally
signify exclusion from the right to international protection. The Judge
Investigator ordered pre-trial detention for 30 of those charged, with
alternative restrictive measures ordered for the individual who had been
hospitalised. Many of the people subject to pre-trial detention orders
have vulnerability status and/or serious mental and physical health
conditions which should preclude incarceration. Imprisonment pending
trial, which in Greece means on average a period of over 6 months,
should be a measure of last resort under Greek and international law. 4
individuals have had their preliminary hearings postponed due to the
Court’s inability to find translators. On Tuesday 25th and Wednesday
26th of July, 20 of the individuals charged were transferred to prisons
in Athens, and 2 to Chios.

Legal Centre Lesvos denounces use of excessive force, arbitrary raids
and arrests, exaggerated criminal charges, lack of access to due process
and punitive pre-trial detention on the part of state actors, all of
which violate basic principles of international human rights law. The
apparently indiscriminate nature of these arrests, charges, and
pre-trial detention orders, coupled with the dawn-raids that took place
in Moria camp on Monday 24th July, provide reason to believe that
authorities are deploying a policy of intimidation intended to instill
fear in the camps and prevent organising and protests against the
realities of structural violence and dehumanising reception conditions
for refugees in Lesvos. The Legal Centre will continue to advocate for
the rights of the 35 arrestees and for the rights of all refugees in
Lesvos, including the right to freedom of expression and to live in
dignity; free from violence, discrimination and inhumane treatment.