Increase in police violence
11.12.2019
Question for written answer E-004334/2019
to the Commission
Rule 138
Stelios Kouloglou (GUE/NGL), Konstantinos Arvanitis (GUE/NGL)
Images of widespread police violence in Greece have recently been causing great concern following the commemoration on Friday 6 December [1] of the death of Alexandros Grigoropoulos at the hands of a police officer.
At a time when public complaints about a rapid escalation in police violence are being heard with increasing frequency, these images of extreme and unjustified brutality are a matter of great concern. Seven people were arrested in Thessaloniki following the release of solidarity balloons [2] . There have been reports of beatings and cries of pain at the Athens police headquarters and dozens of online images of brutal repression, with people being indiscriminately beaten and humiliated, [3] have gone viral. Despite this, the Minister responsible is doggedly insisting that the police and government are acting lawfully.
Given that the right to freedom of assembly and association is enshrined in Article 12 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and in view of the Commission’s own strict adherence to the EU acquis,
including its provisions regarding fundamental rights:
Will it examine the situation in Greece regarding compliance with the rule of lawin the Member States? Will it act on its findings and, if so, when?
- [1] https://tvxs.gr/news/ellada/syllipseis-ston-soro-sta-eksarxeia-binteo-fotografies
- [2] https://tvxs.gr/news/ellada/epta-prosagoges-sti-thessaloniki-gia-mpalonia-allileggyis
- [3] https://www.dikaiologitika.gr/eidhseis/koinonia/279937/tatiana-bolari-gia-ti-fotografia-dokoumento-sta-eksarxeia-otan-eida-ti-eixa-traviksei-anatrixiasa.