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Greece Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2001 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor March 4, 2002
Greece is a constitutional republic and multiparty parliamentary
democracy in which citizens choose their representatives in free and fair
elections. The Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) won the
majority of parliamentary seats for a second consecutive term in
parliamentary elections held in April 2000. Its leader, Constantine
Simitis, has been Prime Minister since 1996. The New Democracy Party
is the main opposition party. The Government generally respects the
constitutional provisions for an independent judiciary. The national police and security services are responsible for internal
security. Civilian authorities generally maintain effective control
of all security forces. The police and security services are subject
to a broad variety of restraints; however, some members of the police and
security forces committed human rights abuses. The Government generally respected the human rights of its citizens;
however, there were serious problems in some areas. There was a
report of an isolated police killing of a Rom. Security force
personnel sometimes abused persons, particularly illegal immigrants and
Roma. Overcrowding and harsh conditions continued in some
prisons. Police sweeps resulted in the detention under often squalid
conditions of undocumented immigrants. There are legal limits on the
freedom of association of ethnic minorities. Leaders of minority
religions noted a general improvement in government tolerance. Laws
restrictive of freedom of speech remained in force, and some legal
restrictions and administrative obstacles on freedom of religion
persisted. Violence and discrimination against women were
problems. Discrimination against ethnic minorities remained a
problem. Roma continued to suffer widespread discrimination.
There were reports that minority children were forced into begging, and
the trafficking in women and girls into the country for the purpose of
prostitution was a problem. RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS Section 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including
Freedom From: a. Arbitrary and Unlawful Deprivation of Life There were no reports of political killings by the Government or its
agents. In October a police officer shot and killed Rom Marinos
Christopoulos, after Christopoulos drove a truck through a police
checkpoint. The officer was arrested and jailed on October 24.
When the officer was released on bail 5 days later, Roma rioted in the
Zefyra area of Athens. The case was pending trial at year's
end.Isolated incidents of terrorism continued during the year. The
terrorist group November 17 has claimed responsibility for 22 killings
during the past 25 years, but no one has ever been arrested and charged in
these cases. b. Disappearance There were no reports of politically motivated disappearances. c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment The Constitution specifically forbids torture, and the law, which has
never been invoked, makes the use of torture punishable by a sentence of 3
years' to life imprisonment; however, security force personnel
occasionally abused persons, particularly illegal immigrants and Roma (see
Section 5). A Report on Greece issued in May by the U.N. Committee
Against Torture expressed concern about the excessive or unjustifiable use
of force by police against ethnic and national minorities and
foreigners. In July Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized the beating by police of a
man in Rhodes earlier that month when he protested a traffic check and a
traffic ticket. Police claimed that the man resisted and insulted
them. The man did not press charges and admitted that he insulted
the policemen, who later were transferred to other locations. An
internal inquiry was ordered. No one had been charged in the case by
year's end. Roma experienced police abuse more frequently than some other
groups. Amnesty International called on the authorities to conduct
an impartial investigation into allegations made by Andreas Kalamiotis, a
21-year-old Rom, who claimed that he was beaten and mistreated by police
in July while in custody for disturbing neighbors in Aghia Paraskevi with
loud music. No one had been charged in the case by year's end.
In September 2000, police were accused of beating Roma during a routine
traffic stop in Nafplio. No one had been charged in the case by
year's end. Immigrants--mostly Albanian citizens--accused police of physical,
verbal, and other mistreatment (including the confiscation and destruction
of their documents), particularly during police sweeps to apprehend
illegal immigrants (see Section 2.d.). The severity of this problem
diminished during the year due to legislation that allowed immigrants to
regularize their status. The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture carried out one of
its periodic visits during September. The committee particularly
reviewed developments concerning the treatment and detention conditions of
persons held under laws concerning aliens. Its report was not
released by year's end. In August 2000, two foreigners accused police in Crete of mistreatment
while under detention. There was no investigation into or action
taken in this case by year's end. In the 1998 case of three policemen who allegedly beat two Romani
teenagers, the police officers were held responsible for not preventing
the mistreatment of the two individuals, and fines were imposed against
the officers. The officers were acquitted on appeal, and no fines
were paid. The Ministry of Public Order opened a Bureau of Internal Affairs in
1999 to investigate alleged criminal offenses by police officers and to
submit an annual report to the Parliament regarding its findings.
During the year, the Bureau took several disciplinary measures, including
dismissal and suspension, against officers involved in corruption, mainly
for the forging of documents and bribes for illegal construction, but also
for cases of procuring and drugs. During the period October 1999 to
December 2000, 933 complaints were filed, of which 388 were referred to
local police stations and 470 were left pending for lack of
evidence. Charges were filed in the remaining 75 cases. Local police corruption facilitated trafficking in persons (see Section
6.f.). Numerous anarchist and terrorist groups attacked a wide spectrum of
targets, mostly commercial property, during the year. The
firebombing of vehicles, drive-by shootings of buildings, and bombings at
commercial establishments, mostly late at night, were widespread.
Conditions in some prisons remained harsh due to substantial
overcrowding and outdated facilities. As of September, the Ministry
of Justice reported that the total prison population was 8,389 inmates,
while the total capacity of the prison system was 5,284. In general
juveniles are held separately from adults, and women are held separately
from men, except at Korydallos Prison. Poor conditions continued at the Amygdaleza and Drapetsona detention
centers for illegal alien women. The Ministry of Justice continued
its program to improve prison conditions and expand capacity.
Construction continued on four new prisons. The Government permitted prison visits by independent human rights
monitors, and several took place during the year. d. Arbitrary Arrest, Detention, or Exile The Constitution prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention; however,
throughout the year, the police conducted large-scale sweeps and
temporarily detained, often under squalid conditions, large numbers of
foreigners while determining their residence status (see Section
2.d.). Some of the foreigners were detained indefinitely with no
judicial review. The Constitution requires judicial warrants for all arrests, except
during the commission of a crime, and the law prohibits arbitrary arrest
orders; the authorities generally respected these provisions in
practice. By law the police must bring persons who are detained or
arrested before an examining magistrate within 24 hours. The
magistrate must issue a detention warrant or order the release of the
detainee within 3 days, unless special circumstances warrant a 2-day
extension of this time limit. Defendants brought to court before the end of the day following the
commission of a charged misdemeanor offense may be tried immediately,
under an "expedited procedure." Although legal safeguards, including
representation by counsel, apply in expedited procedure cases, the short
period of time may inhibit defendants' ability to present an adequate
defense. Defendants may ask for a delay to provide time to prepare
their defense, but the court is not obliged to grant it. The
expedited procedure was used in less than 10 percent of applicable
cases. The effective legal maximum duration of pretrial detention is 18 months
for felonies and 9 months for misdemeanors in practice. Defense
lawyers assert that pretrial detention is exceedingly long and overused by
judges. A panel of judges may grant release pending trial, with or
without bail. Pretrial detainees made up 31 percent of those
incarcerated, contributing to overcrowding, according to government
sources. A person convicted of a misdemeanor and sentenced to 2
years' imprisonment or less may, at the court's discretion, pay a fine
instead of being imprisoned. In February the ECHR found Greece to be in violation of Article 3 and
Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights for holding Mohamed
Dougoz--who was being expelled from Greece--in the Drapetsona detention
center and Police Headquarters at Alexandras Avenue for several years
under conditions that were determined to be inhuman. The Government
was ordered to pay $13,000 (5 million drachmae) to Dougoz. The Constitution prohibits forced exile, and the Government did not
employ it. e. Denial of Fair Public Trial The Constitution provides for an independent judiciary, and the
Government generally respects this provision in practice. The judicial system includes three levels of civil courts, (first
instance, appeals, and supreme) and three levels of criminal courts (first
instance--divided into misdemeanor and felony divisions, appeals, and
supreme), appointed judges, and an examining magistrate system, with
trials by judicial panels. The Constitution provides for public trials, unless the court decides
that privacy is required to protect victims and witnesses or the cases
involve national security matters. Defendants enjoy a presumption of
innocence, the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, the right to
present evidence and call witnesses, and the rights of access to the
prosecution's evidence, to cross-examine witnesses, and to counsel.
Lawyers are provided to defendants who are not able to afford legal
counsel only in felony cases. Both the prosecution and the defense
may appeal. In March the ECHR found Greece to be in violation of Article 6 (the
right to a hearing within a reasonable time by a tribunal) of the European
Convention on Human Rights in the case of George Arvelakis, who was
convicted of murder in 1988. In November 1997, the Greek Supreme
Court had rejected his final appeal. Defendants who do not speak Greek have the right to a court-appointed
interpreter. According to several immigrant associations in Athens,
the low fees paid for such work often resulted in poor
interpretation. Foreign defendants who depend on these interpreters
frequently complained that they do not understand the proceedings of their
trials. Also defendants often are not advised of their rights during
arrest in a language that they can understand. Several complained
that they were not shown the Hellenic Police Informational Bulletin, which
contains prisoners' rights in a variety of languages, and that they were
forced to sign blank documents later used for their deportation. There were no reports of political prisoners. f. Arbitrary Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or
Correspondence The Constitution prohibits the invasion of privacy and searches without
warrants, and the law permits the monitoring of personal communications
only under strict judicial controls; however, these provisions were not
respected in practice. Some human rights monitors reported
suspicious openings and diversions of mail. The Government
reportedly took no steps to stop such practices or to prosecute those
involved. Unlike in the past, The Greek Helsinki Monitor reported
that it was not monitored by security services during the year. In April the ECHR found Greece in violation of Article 8 (on privacy)
of the European Convention on Human Rights, in the case of Donald Peers,
who was arrested at the Athens airport in 1994 for drug offenses; while he
was in jail at the Korydallos prison, officials opened his mail. The
ECHR determined this to be a violation of his right to privacy and family
life, his home, and correspondence. The Government was ordered to
pay $13,000 (5 million drachmae) to Peers. The ERRC reported that police conducted regular raids and searches of
Romani neighborhoods for alleged criminal suspects, drugs, and weapons
(see Section 5). Local authorities evicted or threatened to evict Roma from camps and
tent dwellings during the year (see Section 5). In the past, nonethnic Greek citizens were prohibited legally from
settling in a large "supervised zone" near the frontier; however, this
prohibition was not enforced in practice, and the restrictions were lifted
formally in March. Section 2 Respect for Civil Liberties, Including: a. Freedom of Speech and Press The Constitution provides for freedom of speech and of the press, and
the Government generally respects these rights in practice; however, legal
restrictions on free speech remained in force. Articles of the Penal
Code that can be used to restrict free speech and the press include
Article 141, which forbids exposing to danger of disturbance the friendly
relations of the Greek state with foreign states; Article 191, which
prohibits spreading false information and rumors liable to create concern
and fear among citizens and cause disturbances in the country's
international relations; and inciting citizens to rivalry and division
leading to disturbance of the peace; and Article 192, which prohibits
inciting citizens to acts of violence or to disturbing the peace through
disharmony among them. Those convicted in the past of violations of
these articles were allowed to convert their prison sentences, up to 3
years, into a fine of approximately $13.50 (5,000 drachma) per day. In most criminal defamation cases, the defendant typically was released
on bail pending appeal, and no jail time was ever served. In
February Sotiris Bletsas, a Vlach activist, was convicted of disseminating
false information under Article 191 of the Penal Code and sentenced to 15
months' imprisonment and a $1,351 (500,000 drachma) fine. In 1995 at
a Vlach festival Bletsas distributed a publication of the Bureau for
Lesser-Used Languages in Europe that mentioned the minority languages in
Greece. Her conviction was reversed on appeal in December. In
November 1999, according to HRW, two journalists for Eleftherotypia were
indicted for defamation for alleging that the Lesvos police were
associated with smugglers; in December 2000, the journalists were
acquitted by judicial decree. The Constitution allows for seizure
(although not prior restraint), by order of the public prosecutor, of
publications that insult the President, offend religious beliefs, contain
obscene articles, advocate violent overthrow of the political system, or
disclose military and defense information. However, seizures are
very rare, and there were none during the year. There were 17 independent newspapers and magazines. Satirical and
opposition newspapers routinely criticized the highest state
authorities. Members of ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities
freely published periodicals and other publications, often in their native
language. The Constitution provides that the state exercise "immediate control"
over radio and television, and the law establishes ownership and technical
frequency limits on electronic media; the Government and media outlets
have disputed application procedures and frequency allocations. The
law also legalizes stations operating with pending applications. The
National Radio and Television Council has an advisory role in radio and
television licensing, whereas the Ministry of Press and Mass Media has
final authority. In May the first 20 private radio stations in the Athens area were
granted operating licenses. The cases of 15 more radio stations had
not been heard by year's end. Television stations continued to
operate with pending applications; there were more applicants than
available frequency. The Government occasionally closes stations for
violating intellectual property rights or interfering with civil aviation,
military, and law enforcement transmissions, although there were no
reports of such closings during the year. State-run stations tended
to emphasize the Government's views but also reported objectively on other
parties' programs and positions. Private radio and television
stations operated independently of any government control over their
reporting. Turkish-language television programs are widely available
via satellite in Thrace. The 1998 conviction of Abdulhalim Dede, the Muslim owner of Radio Isik,
for illegal construction of a new radio antenna intended to extend the
range of the station, was upheld on appeal in June 2000; the court reduced
the sentence from 8 to 2 months in jail. Dede paid $1,373 for his
initial conviction ($559 (207,000 drachma) in fines and $811 (300,000
drachma) in lawyer's fees) in lieu of 2 months' jail time and appealed his
case to the Supreme Court. In February the Supreme Court decided
that Dede did not receive a fair trial and remanded his case to the Xanthi
appeals court. The Xanthi Court reexamined his case, and in May
acquitted him. The Court refunded the $559 (207,000 drachma)
fine. In September 2000, a Thessaloniki court ruled in favor of a former
Member of Parliament (M.P.), Mimis Androulakis, whose novel "M to the
Power of N" was banned from circulation in seven northern prefectures in
May 2000 as a "blasphemous" book because of sexual connotations regarding
the relationship between Christ and Mary Magdalene. The court ruled
that the novel was a "work of art" and thus protected by the
Constitution. Academic freedom was respected. b. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association The Constitution provides for the freedoms of assembly and association,
and the Government generally respects these rights in practice; however,
the courts continued to place legal restrictions on the names of
associations involving ethnic minorities (see Section
5). c. Freedom of Religion The Constitution establishes the Eastern Orthodox Church of Christ
(Greek Orthodoxy) as the "prevailing" religion, but also provides for the
right of all citizens to practice the religion of their choice; however,
while the Government generally respects this right, at times non-Orthodox
groups face administrative obstacles or legal restrictions on religious
practice. The Constitution prohibits proselytizing and stipulates
that no rite of worship may disturb public order or offend moral
principles. The Orthodox Church wields significant political and
economic influence. The Government, under the direction of the
Ministry of Education and Religion, provides some financial support to the
Orthodox Church by, for example, paying for the salaries and religious
training of clergy, and financing the construction and maintenance of
Orthodox Church buildings. The Government, by virtue of the Orthodox Church's status as the
prevailing religion, recognizes de facto its canon law. In 1999 the
Catholic Church unsuccessfully sought government recognition of its canon
law (the official "constitution" of the Church). In February 2000, the Scientologists submitted an application for
recognition as a known religion. Although the period mandated by law
for processing the application is 3 months, the Ministry waited until
October 2000 to decide that it would not recognize the Scientologist
community as an "official" religion. In October 2000, the Ministry
denied the Scientologists their application for recognition and a house of
prayer permit on the grounds that Scientology "is not a religion."
The Church of Scientology appealed the decision to the Council of State in
December 2000, and the case was pending at year's end. Several religious denominations, including foreign Protestants and
Mormons, reported difficulty in renewing the visas of their non-European
Union citizen ministers because the Government does not have a distinct
religious workers' visa category. As part of new obligations under
the Schengen Treaty and the Treaty of Amsterdam, all non-European Union
citizens face a more restrictive visa and residence regime than they did
in the past. During the year no progress was made on issuing visas
for foreign clergy to perform their religious work in Greece. Two laws from the late 1930's require recognized or "known" religious
groups to obtain house of prayer permits from the Ministry of Education
and Religion in order to open houses of worship. By law the Ministry
may base its decision to issue permits on the opinion of the local
Orthodox bishop, but ministry officials say that they no longer obtain the
opinion of the Orthodox bishop when considering house of prayer permit
applications. According to ministry officials, once a "known"
religion receives a house of prayer permit, applications for additional
houses of prayer are numerous and are approved routinely. For
example, in May the Ministry of Education and Religion granted permission
for the operation of a Buddhist House of Prayer in Athens. Minority religious groups have requested that the Government abolish
laws that regulate house of prayer permits. Many provisions of these
laws are not applied in practice, but local police retain the authority to
bring to court minority churches that operate or build places of worship
without a permit. In December 2000 in Thessaloniki, 16 churches
charged with operating without a house of prayer permit were acquitted.
Leaders of some non-Orthodox religious groups claimed that all taxes on
religious organizations were discriminatory, even those that the Orthodox
Church has to pay, since the Government subsidizes the Orthodox Church
while other groups are self-supporting. The Government also pays the
salaries of the two official Muslim religious leaders ("muftis") in Thrace
and provides them with official vehicles. Several religious denominations reported difficulties in their dealings
with the authorities on a variety of administrative matters.
Privileges and legal prerogatives granted to the Greek Orthodox Church are
not extended routinely to other recognized religions. The non-Greek
Orthodox churches must make separate and lengthy applications to
government officials on such matters as gaining permission to move places
of worship to larger facilities. In contrast Greek Orthodox
officials have an institutionalized link between the church hierarchy and
the Ministry of Education and Religion to handle administrative
matters. The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne gives Muslims in Thrace the right to
maintain social and charitable organizations ("wakfs") and provides for
muftis (Islamic judges and religious leaders with limited civic
responsibilities) to render religious judicial services. The Treaty of Lausanne also provides that the Muslim minority has the
right to Turkish-language education, with a reciprocal entitlement for the
Greek minority in Istanbul of approximately 3,000 persons. Thrace
has both Koranic and secular Turkish-language schools. Observers
agree that the education provided in these schools is of lower quality
than that in other Greek schools. Under a 1952 educational protocol,
Greece and Turkey may exchange annually 35 teachers on a reciprocal basis
for service in Istanbul and Thrace; however, due to the reduced needs of
the small and aging Greek population in Istanbul, Greece has limited the
exchanges to 16 teachers per country. In 1999 the Government
approved 19 Turkish textbooks, which arrived in May 2000 for use in the
secular Turkish-language schools (referred to as "minority" schools in
Thrace). Under a 1960 bilateral protocol, Turkey provided copies of
the approved texts for use in the schools of Thrace. In Thrace over 8,000 Muslim children attended Turkish-language primary
schools. An additional 150 attended 2 bilingual middle schools with
a religious curriculum. Approximately 700 attended Turkish-language
secondary schools, and approximately 1,300 attended Greek-language
secondary schools. In 1999 the Government instituted an European
Union-funded program for teaching Greek as a second language to Muslim
children, primarily for those students in the Greek-language public
schools, to improve their academic performance and chance of obtaining
postsecondary education in Greece. In addition the Government
offered further opportunities for minority students to learn Greek through
preschool, kindergarten, after school, and summer school courses.
Other than in one multicultural elementary education "pilot school,"
the Government does not provide instruction in Greek as a second language
to Turcophone children in the Athens area. Muslim parents report
that their children are unable to succeed in school as a result of this
policy. The Government maintains that Muslims outside Thrace are not
covered by the Treaty of Lausanne and therefore do not enjoy those rights
provided by the treaty. The law permits the Minister of Education to give special consideration
to Muslims for admission to universities and technical institutes
(although not to military officer candidate school). Universities
and technical institutes are required to create a certain number of places
(0.5 percent) for Muslim students each year; 400 spaces were available for
the 2000-01 school year, but only 35 Muslim students entered universities
and technical institutes during the 2000-01 school year. The Muslim population is concentrated in Thrace with small communities
in Rhodes, Kos, and Athens (see Section 5). The approximately 20,000 member Muslim community in Athens has no
mosque or state-appointed cleric to officiate at various religious
functions, including funerals. Members of the Muslim community often
transport their deceased back to Thrace for religious burials. In
2000 the Parliament approved a bill that allows construction of the first
Islamic cultural center and mosque in the Athens area; however,
construction had not yet begun at year's end. According to official
sources, a total of 287 mosques operate freely in Thrace, and there are
also mosques on the islands of Rhodes and Kos. Construction of a
long-delayed mosque in Kimmeria, Thrace, was completed in 1998, although
its minaret remained unfinished due to local sensitivities; however, this
has not affected the religious operation of the mosque. Differences remain within the Muslim community and between segments of
the community and the Government over the means of selection of
muftis. In 1991 in accordance with the law, the Government, upon
receiving recommendations from a committee of Muslim notables selected by
the Government, appointed two muftis and one assistant mufti, all resident
in Thrace, to 10-year terms. The Government argued that it must
appoint the muftis because, in addition to their religious duties, they
perform judicial functions in civil and domestic matters under Muslim
religious law, for which the State pays them. In January the Mufti
from Komotini was reappointed for another 10-year term, and in May the
Mufti from Xanthi also was reappointed. Some Muslims accept the
authority of the two officially appointed muftis; other Muslims, with
support from Turkey, have "elected" two different muftis to serve their
communities (although there is no established procedure or practice for
election). The Government has prosecuted the "elected" muftis for
usurping authority, and the courts repeatedly have convicted one of the
elected muftis for usurping the authority of the official mufti; all of
his respective sentences remained suspended pending appeal at year's
end. On July 4, a Kavala court acquitted the mufti on three counts
of "encroaching on the services of a religious functionary." He
continued to minister to local Muslims during the year. Controversy between the Muslim community and the Government also
continued over the management and self-government of the wakfs (Muslim
charitable organizations), regarding the appointment of officials as well
as the degree and type of administrative control. A 1980 law placed
the administration of the wakfs in the hands of the appointed muftis and
their representatives. In response to objections from some Muslims
that this arrangement weakened the financial autonomy of the wakfs and
violated the terms of the Treaty of Lausanne, a 1996 presidential decree
put the wakfs under the administration of a committee for 3 years as an
interim measure pending the resolution of outstanding problems. The
interim period was extended in 1999. In the past, Muslim activists
complained that the Government regularly lodges tax liens against the
wakfs, although they are tax-free religious foundations in theory.
Under a 1999 national land and property registry law, the wakfs, as with
all property holders, must register all of their property with the
Government. The law permits the Government to seize any property
that owners are not able to document; there are built-in reporting and
appeals procedures. The wakfs were established in 1560; however, due
to the destruction of files during the two world wars, the wakfs are
unable to document ownership of much of their property. They have
not registered the property, so they cannot pay assessed taxes. The
Government has not sought to enforce either the assessments or the
registration requirement. Non-Orthodox citizens have claimed that they face career limits in the
military, police, and fire fighting forces, and the civil service, due to
their religions. In the military, generally only members of the
Greek Orthodox faith become officers, leading some members of other faiths
to declare themselves Orthodox. There is no prohibition against
Muslims becoming officers; however, few Muslim officers have advanced to
the rank of reserve officer, and there were reports of pressure exerted on
Greek Orthodox military personnel not to marry in the religious ceremony
of their non-Orthodox partner, lest they be passed over for
promotion. In addition the rigorous training conditions they must
meet to advance also require a solid educational background and fluency in
Greek, posing an obstacle for many Muslims. The rate of employment of Muslims in the public sector and in
state-owned industries and corporations is much lower than the Muslim
percentage of the population. Muslims in Thrace claim that they are
hired only for lower level, part-time work. The Government claims
and Muslims and Christians agree that a lack of fluency in written and
spoken Greek and the need for university degrees for high-level positions
limit the number of Muslims eligible for government
jobs. Evangelical parishes are located throughout the country. Members
of missionary faiths report that they are subject to harassment and police
detention due to constitutional and legal prohibitions on
proselytizing. Church officials expressed concern that
antiproselytizing laws remain on the books, although such laws no longer
hinder their ministering to the poor and to children. Church leaders
report that their permanent members (nonmissionaries) do not encounter
official discriminatory treatment. However, the police regularly
detained Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses after receiving local complaints
that individuals were engaged in proselytizing. In most cases, these
individuals were held for several hours at a police station and then
released with no charges filed. Many reported that they were not
allowed to call their lawyers and that they were abused verbally by police
officers for their religious beliefs. The Government decided in 2000 to remove the notation of religious
affiliation on national identity cards. This sparked a national
debate on the role of the Church in society that continued during the
year. The law prohibits the functioning of private schools in buildings owned
by non-Orthodox religious foundations; however, this law has not been
enforced in practice. d. Freedom of Movement Within the Country, Foreign Travel,
Emigration, and Repatriation The Constitution provides for these rights, and the Government
generally respects them in practice. A section of the Citizenship Code, Article 20, permits the Government
to strip citizenship from those who "commit acts contrary to the interests
of Greece for the benefit of a foreign state." While the law as
written applies equally to all citizens regardless of ethnic background,
it has been enforced, in all but one case, only against citizens who
identified themselves as members of the "Macedonian" minority. The
Government has not revealed the number of Article 20 cases that it
pursued. There were no reports of such cases during the year.
Dual citizens who are stripped of Greek citizenship under Article 20
sometimes are prevented from entering the country using the passport of
their second nationality. In 1998 the Government repealed Article 19 of the Citizenship Code,
which permitted it to revoke the citizenship of citizens of non-Greek
ethnic origin who traveled outside the country. Between 1955 and
1998, according to government officials, approximately 60,000 citizens
lost their citizenship, and approximately 400 individuals, mainly Muslims
in Thrace, who lost their citizenship under Article 19 continued to reside
in the country. Following the repeal of Article 19, the authorities
issued most of these individuals identification documents characterizing
them as stateless but permitted them to apply to reacquire
citizenship. Most of these 400 persons had not had their
applications adjudicated by year's end. In April Parliament passed a new immigration bill, and in June the
Government launched its second campaign to legalize all immigrants who
fulfill the requirements of the law (proof of residence in Greece from
before June 2, 2000). Legislative amendments, the decentralized
registration process, and improved services for applicants such as a help
line run by the Ministry of Interior, made the process more successful
than the Government's first effort in 1998. Over 350,000 illegal
migrants applied during this second legalization process. The law provides for the granting of asylum and refugee status in
accordance with the 1951 U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of
Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. A 1999 presidential decree
significantly expanded the rights of asylum seekers and brought the law
into compliance with the standards of the U.N. High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) on asylum procedures; however, in practice this
legislation remained largely unenforced. The Government cooperates
with the office of the UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations in
assisting refugees. Individuals recognized as refugees under the terms of the U.N.
convention are eligible for residence and work permits necessary to settle
permanently. During the first 6 months of the year, 1,162
individuals submitted applications for refugee status; 55 individuals were
recognized as refugees. Another 18 were granted temporary residence
on humanitarian grounds until return to their countries becomes
possible. At the end of 2000, 2,378 applications remained
pending--more than double the number at the end of the previous year. The Government generally does not recognize the concept of first asylum
rights for refugees. The UNHCR expressed concern that very few
applicants are granted asylum without UNHCR involvement.
Interpretation services are lacking, as are adequate personnel who would
ensure timely access to the asylum process for those who seek it.
The UNHCR also expressed concern that there exists no publicly funded
legal aid system for free counseling for asylum seekers and refugees. Anecdotal evidence suggests that thousands of individuals from Iraq,
Afghanistan, Turkey, and Iran enter the country illegally each year; only
a small percentage eventually apply for official asylum or refugee
status. In June Port Authority personnel reportedly abused 164
migrants who came ashore in Hania, Crete (see Section 1.c.). During
July, August, and September, over 900 additional smuggled individuals who
arrived by boat on Greek islands applied for asylum. On November 5,
the coast guard intercepted and assisted a disabled, Turkish-flag vessel
that carried 714 persons believed to be heading for Italy. Most
applied for asylum, and after initially refusing to allow their
applications, the Government sent them to refugee camps or reception
facilities for processing. Some of those who did not apply for
refugee or asylum status remained illegally, often living in camps or in
NGO shelters where conditions range from adequate to very poor.
Others proceeded to Western Europe, often applying for asylum there.
A large group of persons waiting to board boats to Italy gathered at the
port of Patras throughout the year and remained there in squalid
conditions at year's end. The Government generally does not seek out such individuals for
deportation; largely because until November Greece and Turkey did not have
a readmission agreement, and the Government found it practically
impossible to deport formally individuals who entered Greece from
Turkey. In July the UNHCR visited the Greek-Turkish land border (a
military zone) to ascertain whether a group of 250 persons from various
African countries were detained there. While no evidence was found
at the time, some of those persons who had been deported from Turkey to
Greece and back again, arrived in Greece and applied for asylum. Deportations of both illegal and legal immigrants, abusive treatment by
police, and inconsistencies and inequities in the way employers provide
wages and benefits to domestic and foreign workers were common. The
police conducted many large-scale sweeps of neighborhoods populated by
immigrants, temporarily detaining large numbers of individuals while
determining their residence status. The detainees were held in
squalid conditions: A report by Human Rights Watch in December 2000
cited severe overcrowding and a lack of sufficient exercise, sleeping
accommodations, adequate food, or medical care. The only
government-funded center for asylum seekers was old and in need of
repair. No refugees were deported to countries where they credibly feared
prosecution. The Organization for the Employment of Human Resources (OAED), a
government agency, reported that by 2000, 386,000 illegal aliens, out of
an estimated total alien population of 700,000, had applied for legal
status or a "white card," under a program designed to regularize the
residency status of illegal, (usually economic) immigrants. A
few, mostly Albanian, white card holders were able to meet all the
requirements of the law and receive a "green card," which serves as a
residence permit and allows the immigrants to live and work in the country
for a limited period of time. The OAED issued 159,807 green cards by
July 2000. Approximately 80 percent of the green cards issued were
of 1-year duration. A new application is required to extend the card
for an additional year. Holders of a white card may reside and work
legally on a short-term basis while meeting the other requirements
necessary to obtain a green card. According to press reports, the
obstacles of a complex bureaucracy and the unwillingness of employers to
pay social security contributions were the primary reasons for the limited
ability of white cardholders to advance to the green card application
process. The OAED estimated that out of a total of 386,000 white
cardholders in 1998, 163,000 simply dropped out of the green card
application process. Legislation provides for the green card program
to remain in effect until the end of the year. Press reports
estimated that it would take 3 years to process the applications already
submitted. Section 3 Respect for Political Rights: The Right of
Citizens to Change Their Government The Constitution provides citizens with the right to change their
government peacefully, and citizens exercise this right in practice
through periodic, free, and fair elections held on the basis of universal
suffrage. Greece is a multiparty democracy headed by Prime Minister
Constantine Simitis of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), who was
elected in free and fair elections in September 1996 and again in April
2000. Parliament elects the President for a 5-year term.
Members of the unicameral 300-seat Parliament are elected to maximum
4-year terms by secret ballot. Opposition parties function freely
and have broad access to the media. Voting is mandatory for those
over age 18; however, there are many conditions under which citizens may
be exempted from voting, and penalties are not applied in practice. Romani representatives report that local authorities sometimes deprived
Roma of the right to vote by refusing to register them; however, Romani
representatives also report that some municipalities encourage Roma to
register. Municipalities may refuse to register Roma who do not
fulfill basic residency requirements, which many Roma have trouble
meeting. The percentage of women in government or politics does not correspond
to their percentage of the population, although no legal restrictions
hinder their participation. During the year, women held 2 of 20
ministerial positions in the Government and 2 of 29 subministerial
positions. Of the 300 members elected to Parliament in April 2000,
31 were female. While citizens exercised their political rights, there occasionally
were charges that the Government limits the right of some individuals,
particularly Muslims and Slavo-Macedonians, to speak publicly and
associate freely on the basis of their self-proclaimed ethnic
identity. However, in the 2000 parliamentary elections, a Muslim was
elected in Thrace, from PASOK. A second Muslim, also from PASOK,
became an M.P. in September 2000 after winning a court challenge to the
eligibility of a seated M.P. for violating a constitutional provision. Responsibility for the oversight of all rights provided to the Muslim
minority under the Treaty of Lausanne (including education, zoning,
administration of the wakfs, and trade) belongs to a government-appointed
regional administrative official, the periferiarch of Eastern Macedonia
and Thrace. Some minority members have charged that oversight by
this office rather than by elected local governors reduced their ability
to use the democratic process to influence decisions that affect
them. The Government stated that it made the change because the
central authorities could administer Greece's treaty obligations more
effectively. Elected nomarchs govern at the provincial level.
These officials work in close cooperation with both elected mayors and
local leaders (Christian and Muslim). Members of the Muslim
community noted that this decentralization has been a positive factor in
local and regional development. Section 4 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and
Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights A wide variety of domestic and international human rights groups
operate in the country, investigating and publishing their findings on
human rights cases. While the Government permits domestic human
rights organizations to operate, cooperation with them varies. The
Government usually cooperates with international human rights groups, has
good working relations with them, and if possible, takes their views into
account. Section 5 Discrimination Based on Race, Sex, Religion, Disability,
Language, or Social Status The Constitution provides for equality before the law irrespective of
nationality, race, language, religious or political belief; however,
government respect for these rights was inconsistent in
practice. Violence against women is a problem. The law does not
specifically prohibit domestic violence. The incidence of violence
against women reported to the authorities is low; however, the General
Secretariat for Equality of the Sexes (GSES), an independent government
agency that operates the only shelter for battered women in Athens,
believes that the actual incidence is "high." According to press and
academic estimates, there were approximately 4,500 cases of rape in
1999. Reportedly only 6 to 10 percent of the victims contact the
police, and only a small fraction of the cases reaches trial.
Conviction rates on rape charges are low for those accused for the first
time, but sentences are harsh for repeat offenders. Spousal rape is
a crime. The GSES claims that police tend to discourage women from pursuing
domestic violence charges and instead undertake reconciliation
efforts. The GSES also claims that the courts are lenient when
dealing with domestic violence cases. GSES, in cooperation with the
Ministry of Public Order, continued training courses for police
personnel on how to treat domestic violence victims. Facilities for battered women and their children often are staffed
inadequately to handle cases properly, but many facilities hired new
personnel during the year. Two government shelters provide services
in Athens and Piraeus, including legal and psychological advice.
Battered women also may go to state hospitals and regional health centers
throughout the country. In June 2000, the Secretariat began
operating a 24-hour emergency telephone hot line for abused women; a
campaign to publicize the service was underway. An interministerial
committee composed of the GSES, the Ministry of Public Order, the Ministry
of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Justice, serves as an
information-sharing forum on women's issues. Prostitution is legal. Prostitutes must register at the local
prefecture and carry a medical card that is updated every 2 weeks.
While the number of Greek women entering the profession declined,
according to the police and academic sources, trafficking in women for
prostitution, mostly from the former Soviet republics, Albania, Bulgaria,
and Romania, increased sharply (see Sections 6.c. and 6.f.). It is
estimated that fewer than 1,000 prostitutes are ethnic Greeks, and
approximately 20,000 are of foreign origin--most in the country
illegally. Most prostitutes who have been arrested are foreigners
who were apprehended for noncompliance with legal requirements.
While national data on such arrests is not available, police reports
estimate that 1,311 women were arrested as illegal immigrants from January
to September. Media reports implicated several police officers as
participants in prostitution rings. The press alleged on a number of
occasions that police accepted bribes from traffickers or pimps or forced
illegal immigrants to have sex with them and then channeled them into
prostitution rings (see Section 6.f.). The law specifically prohibits sexual harassment. Trade unions
report that lawsuits for sexual harassment are very rare:
According to the unions, only four women have filed such charges in the
past 3 years. In all four cases, the courts reportedly imposed very
lenient civil sentences. The General Confederation of Greek Workers
(GSEE) women's section reports that sexual harassment is a widespread
phenomenon, but that women are discouraged from filing charges against
perpetrators by family members and coworkers since they believe they might
be socially stigmatized. The law provides for equal pay for equal work; however, the National
Statistical Service's latest data, for the fourth quarter of 1998, show
that women's salaries in manufacturing were 71 percent of those of men in
comparable positions; in retail sales, women's salaries were 88 percent of
those of men in comparable positions. Although relatively few women occupy senior positions, women have begun
to enter traditionally male-dominated occupations such as the legal and
medical professions in larger numbers. However, women still face
discrimination when they are considered for promotions in both the public
and private sectors. Women also are underrepresented in labor
unions' leadership. According to the women's section of the GSEE,
58.6 percent of the country's long-term unemployed are women, while women
constitute only 38 percent of the work force. To ameliorate the
situation, the GSES established two regional employment offices for women
in Thessaloniki and Patras in 2000. It also continued to provide
vocational training programs for unemployed women and programs to
reinforce entrepreneurship, subsidies to women for setting up an
enterprise, information and counseling to unemployed women, and it created
childcare facilities to assist unemployed women to attend training courses
and look for a job. Children The Government is committed strongly to children's rights and welfare;
it amply funds a system of public education and health care.
Education is free and compulsory through the ninth grade, but the
legislation does not provide for enforcement or penalties.
University education is public and free at all levels. New
universities have opened in the provinces, along with new departments in
already existing universities. During the year, the Ministry of Education reported that the illiteracy
rate was dropping among Roma children: The school enrollment rate of
Romani children increased by 17 percent, and the dropout rate decreased to
75 percent as a consequence of an identity card system, set up by the
Ministry, which allows students to change schools more easily as their
parents move. The Greek Helsinki Monitor and POSER, the organization
that represents the views of the Romani community, challenged this
statistic. The idea of setting up satellite elementary schools near
Romani camps has been set aside in favor of the policy of integration
(except for preschool centers). Ethnic Greek parents in some schools
have resisted the acceptance of many Romani children. Several government organizations have responsibility for children's
issues. The National Organization for Social Care has a nationwide
network of offices and is active in the field of child protection.
The services of this organization were regionalized in order to provide
greater access to child welfare services and funding prioritized according
to regional needs. There is no societal pattern of abuse of children; however, research by
the Institute for Child Health (ICH) revealed a high percentage of
socially accepted physical punishment (viz., spanking) by parents.
No national data exist on the incidence of child abuse; authorities other
than police are not required to report such cases. Societal abuse of
children in the form of pornography is rare. Child prostitution is a
growing phenomenon, particularly in some parts of immigrant communities of
central Athens. Penal law prohibits the mistreatment of children and sets penalties for
violators, while welfare legislation provides for preventive and treatment
programs for abused children and for children deprived of a family
environment; it also seeks to ensure the availability of alternative
family care or institutional placement. There was a gradual decline
in the number of ethnic Greek children in public care; however, children
of ethnic minority groups (i.e., Albanians) who work in Greece entered
public care because of abuse or abandonment. Children's rights advocacy groups claim that the protection of
high-risk children in state residential care centers is inadequate and of
low quality. They cite lack of coordination between welfare services
and the courts, inadequate funding of the welfare system, and poor
staffing of residential care centers as systemic weaknesses in the
treatment of child abuse. Athens has two municipal shelters for
battered children. Child health specialists note that the number of
children in residential care facilities is decreasing, while the number in
foster care is rising. With EU funding, special care is available
for juvenile offenders, Romani children, children from remote mountain and
island areas, and children with disabilities. During the year, the number of street children who panhandle or peddle
at city intersections on behalf of adult family members or for criminal
gangs decreased. The Government successfully implemented measures
throughout the year to combat this phenomenon, which included the
institutional placement of children up to 12 years old, therapeutic
consultations with their families, and the deportation of illegal
immigrant juveniles 12 to 17 years old. Street children were
arrested and detained regularly by police prior to being placed in these
programs. However, it is believed widely that even those who were
deported managed to return eventually to the country and the
streets. In August 2000, police detained a group of 35 Roma children
from Albania, between the ages of 3 months and 11 years, who were begging
or being exploited by adult beggars in the streets. Police
apprehended 20 adults, identified as parents. Police believe that
this was the largest child exploitation ring ever uncovered in the
country. The group of Roma was deported in August. A
children's NGO, A Child's Smile, claims that many street children are
victims of abuse. Based on the findings of a study it carried out in
Thessaloniki in 1999, the majority of street children are between the ages
of 8 and 14. Approximately 60 percent of such children are from
Albania, and most have been separated from their parents, who remained in
their native country. Someone posing as their guardian or parent
brings them to Greece. In most cases, their parents, faced with
extreme financial difficulties in Albania, agreed to send their child to
Greece in exchange for a small percentage of their child's monthly
earnings. Persons with Disabilities Legislation mandates the hiring of persons with disabilities in public
and private enterprises that employ more than 50 persons; however, the law
reportedly is enforced poorly, particularly in the private sector.
The law states that persons with disabilities should account for 3 percent
of employees in private enterprises. In the civil service, 5 percent
of administrative staff and 80 percent of telephone operator positions are
reserved for persons with disabilities. Recent legislation mandates
the hiring of persons with disabilities in the public sector from a
priority list. They are exempt from the civil service exam, and some
have been appointed to important positions in the civil service.
There is no societal discrimination against persons with disabilities. The Construction Code mandates physical access for persons with
disabilities to private and public buildings, but this law, also, is
enforced poorly. Many public buildings had not complied with the
proposals of the interministerial committee on accessibility by year's
end. A 1997 survey showed that over 60 percent of public buildings
were not accessible. Ramps and special curbs for persons with
disabilities were constructed on some Athens streets and at some public
buildings, and sound signals have been installed at some city street
crossings. During the year, the Ministry of Public Works installed
special sound equipment for 200 traffic lights in Attika that were
selected by the Association for the Blind. The Government continued
to replace old city buses with new accessible buses. Athens subway
lines provide full accessibility. Religious Minorities Ethnic Greeks tend to link religious affiliation very closely to
ethnicity. In the minds of many, an ethnic Greek is also Orthodox
Christian. Non-Orthodox citizens have complained of being treated
with suspicion or told that they were not truly Greek when they revealed
their religious affiliation. Non-Orthodox citizens also have claimed
that they face career limits in the military and the civil service due to
their religions (see Section 2.c.). Members of minority faiths have reported incidents of societal
discrimination, such as local bishops warning parishioners not to visit
clergy or members of minority faiths, and neighbors requesting that the
police arrest missionaries for proselytizing. Some non-Orthodox
religious communities claim that they have been unable to communicate with
officials of the Orthodox Church and that the attitude of the Orthodox
Church toward their faiths has increased social intolerance towards their
religions. The Orthodox Church issued a list of practices and
religious groups, including Jehovah's Witnesses, Evangelical Protestants,
Scientologists, Mormons, Baha'is, and others, which it believes to be
sacrilegious. Officials of the Orthodox Church have acknowledged
that they refuse to enter into dialog with religious groups considered
harmful to Greek Orthodox worshipers; church leaders instruct Orthodox
Greeks to shun members of these faiths. In March Archbishop Christodoulos blamed "the Jews" for the
Government's decision to remove notation of religious affiliation on
national identity cards (see Section 2.c.). The Government distanced
itself from Christodoulos' statement. In April vandals desecrated the Jewish cemetery of Trikala. The
police investigated but were unable to identify any suspects. National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities An increase in xenophobia has paralleled an increase in the number of
non-Greeks living and working in the country. Antiforeigner
sentiment is directed mainly at Albanians, who make up approximately 5
percent of the population. Of the approximately 800,000 aliens in
the country, approximately 500,000 are Albanians, 90 percent of whom are
legalized. The Government launched a second legalization process
during the year, allowing undocumented immigrants who had lived in Greece
for more than a year to apply for residence and work permits. While
this legalization has decreased official cases of discrimination, Albanian
immigrants faced widespread societal discrimination. For example,
the population regularly blamed Albanians for the reported rise in crime
in the last few years. The sometimes difficult relationship between
Albania and Greece intensified the problem. Debate also has arisen
over Albanian immigrants' rights to Greek national identity. For
example, a controversy occurred in some areas during the year over whether
Albanian pupils would be allowed to carry the Greek flag in national day
parades: eventually they were allowed to do so. Significant numbers of Greek citizens identify themselves as Turks,
Pomaks, Vlachs, Roma, Arvanites (Orthodox Christians who speak a dialect
of Albanian), or "Macedonians" or "Slavomacedonians." Most are
integrated fully into society. The Government formally recognizes
only the "Muslim minority" specified in the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne (see
Section 2.c.), although it stated publicly in 1999 that members of that
minority could identify themselves individually as belonging to different
ethnic groups. Most of the Muslim minority (officially estimated to
number 98,000) are ethnically Turkish or Turcophone and live in
Thrace. The Muslim minority also includes Pomaks and Roma.
Many Greek Muslims, including Pomaks, identify themselves as Turks and say
that the Muslim minority as a whole has a Turkish cultural
consciousness. The Government has failed to acknowledge formally the existence of
non-Muslim ethnic groups, principally Slavophones, under the term
"minority." The Government has affirmed an individual, but not a
collective, right of self-identification. As a result, some
individuals who define themselves as members of a minority find it
difficult to express their identity freely and to maintain their
culture. Use of the terms "Tourkos" and "Tourkikos" ("Turk" and
"Turkish") is prohibited in titles of organizations, although individuals
legally may call themselves "Tourkos." To most Greeks, the words
"Tourkos" and "Tourkikos" connote Turkish identity or loyalties, and many
object to their use by Greek citizens of Turkish origin. In June a
court in Rodopi denied the registration of the "Political Association of
Turkish Women of Rodopi." In December 2000, the Supreme Court
overturned a 1999 Xanthi appeals court decision that upheld a 1986 trial
court's order to close the "Turkish Union of Xanthi" because of the use of
the word "Turkish" in the organization's name. The Supreme Court
stated that the court's decision should be based on the organization's
activities and not its name, and it ordered the appeals court to review
the case. A hearing was held in November, but no ruling had been
issued by year's end. Northwestern Greece is home to an indeterminate number--estimates range
widely, from under 10,000 to 50,000 or more--of citizens who speak a
Slavic dialect at home, particularly in Florina province. A small
number identify themselves as belonging to a distinct ethnic group and
assert their right to "Macedonian" minority status. Their assertions
have generated strong objections among the 2.2 million non-Slavophone
Greek inhabitants of the northern Greek region of Macedonia, who use the
same term to identify themselves. The Government does not recognize
the Slavic dialect as a "Macedonian" language distinct from
Bulgarian. Members of the minority asserted that the Government
pursues a policy designed to discourage use of their dialect. The
Government is concerned that members of the "Macedonian" minority may have
separatist aspirations. Greece's dispute with the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia over that country's name heightened this
sensitivity. Roma continued to face discrimination from some local authorities and
society at large. An interministerial committee headed by the
Ministry of Interior is responsible for coordinating government projects
for Roma; it estimated the total Romani population to be between 85,000
and 120,000. Nonofficial sources estimate the total at 250,000 to
300,000. Most of the Roma in Thrace are Muslims; elsewhere the
majority are Greek Orthodox. Many Roma are settled permanently,
mainly in the Athens area. Others are either mobile, working mainly
as agricultural laborers, peddlers, and musicians throughout the country,
or they live in camps. The number of Roma who move around the
country continued to decrease gradually as families settled mainly into
slums and camps around major cities. The European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) claimed that Roma are subject to
systematic police abuse (see Section 1.c.), mistreatment while in police
custody, and regular raids and searches of Roma neighborhoods for criminal
suspects, drugs, and weapons. In 1999 the Ministry of Interior completed a survey of the housing
needs of the Roma and in September started to erect prefabricated houses,
totaling approximately 1,000. Also in September, the Minister of
Interior announced a $283,707,106 (105 billion drachma) program to address
Roma needs and to promote Roma integration, including housing, subsidized
mortgage loans, and infrastructure in Roma camps, employment schemes,
cultural and sports activities, and welfare allowances. Roma frequently face discrimination in employment and in housing,
particularly when attempting to rent accommodations. The
approximately 400 Roma families in Tyrnavos, Thessaly, live in tents
because the authorities refuse to include the area in city planning.
There were approximately 70 Romani camps with a total population between
100,000 and 120,000 persons. Most Romani camps have no running
water, electricity, garbage disposal, or sewage treatment. The Roma
of Tyrnavos, Thessaly, attempted to build their own lavatories in order to
improve their living conditions, but local authorities pulled them down
and imposed fines for violating construction codes. The Ministry of
Defense allocated land in 1996 and houses in 2000 at a former army camp
(Gonou) for the Roma of Evosmos, Thessaloniki. Romani representatives reported that some local authorities have
refused to register Roma as residents in their municipalities. Until
registered with a municipality, no citizen can vote or exercise other
civic rights such as obtaining an official marriage, commercial, or
driver's license, or contributing to social security. The Government considers the Roma a "socially excluded" or "sensitive"
group, not a "minority." As a result, government policy is to
encourage the integration of Roma. The Prime Minister has designated
a member of his staff to coordinate the efforts of all government
ministries having a role in their integration, and the Ministry of
Interior established an interministerial committee in March with the same
aim. Nevertheless poverty, illiteracy, and social prejudice
continued to plague large parts of the Romani population; these problems
were most severe among migrant Roma or those who lived in slums. The
illiteracy rate among Roma is estimated at 80 percent, and according to an
NGO, the average Romani family's income was approximately $205 (76,000
drachma) per month. The research also concluded that the average
life expectancy of Roma is below 60 years of age. The integration of Roma into social security systems also is quite
low. It is estimated that 90 percent of Roma are not insured by the
public social security systems, since they are unable or unwilling to make
the required contributions. Like other qualified citizens, indigent
Roma are entitled to free health care; however, their access at times is
hindered by the fact that their encampments are located far from public
health facilities. Research conducted in 2000 by the NGO Doctors of
the World found that 98 percent of Roma in some camps were infected by
hepatitis A, and 68 percent by hepatitis B. The rate of infection of
other citizens is extremely low, since most are vaccinated. The
Municipality of Pyrgos, Peloponnese, issued health cards to the Roma
living permanently in the area and established a preschool center close to
the Roma camp near the Alfeios River. At a 1999 Implementation Review Meeting in Vienna of the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Greek delegation recognized
that the situation of Roma in Greece was "unsatisfactory and unacceptable"
and committed the Government to remedy the situation. Government
representatives identified as impediments to progress the lack of a
unified voice from the Roma community and the widespread social prejudice
against them. The Ombudsman's Office stated that the Romani
community needs to take more initiative. The Ministry of Health and Welfare continued work on projects to
address the chronic problems of the Romani community. The projects
included training courses for civil servants, policemen, and teachers to
"increase sensitivity to the problems of the Roma," the development of
teaching materials for Romani children, and the establishment of six youth
centers in areas close to Romani communities. Section 6 Worker Rights a. The Right of Association The Constitution and the law provide for the right of association, and
workers exercised this right. All workers, with the exception of the
military, have the right to form or join unions. Police have the
right to form unions but not to strike. Approximately 26 percent of
wage earners (nearly 650,000 persons) are organized in unions.
Unions receive most of their funding from a Ministry of Labor
organization, the Workers' Hearth, which distributes mandatory
contributions from employees and employers. Workers, employers, and
the state are represented in equal numbers on the board of directors of
the Workers' Hearth. Approximately 10 public sector unions have dues
withholding provisions in their contracts, in addition to receiving
Workers' Hearth subsidies. Over 4,000 unions are grouped into regional and sectoral federations
and 2 umbrella confederations, 1 for civil servants (ADEDY) and another,
the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), for private sector
employees. Unions are highly politicized, and there are
party-affiliated factions within the labor confederations; however,
neither political parties nor the Government control day-to-day
operations. There are no restrictions on who may serve as a union
official. Legal restrictions on strikes include a mandatory period of notice,
which is 4 days for public utilities and 24 hours for the private
sector. Legislation mandates a skeleton staff during strikes
affecting public services, such as electricity, transportation,
communications, and banking. Public utility companies, state-owned
banks, the postal service, Olympic Airways, and the railroads also are
required to maintain a skeleton staff during strikes. The courts
have the power to declare strikes illegal, although such decisions seldom
are enforced; however, unions complain that this judicial power serves as
a deterrent to some of their members from participating in strikes.
The courts declared some strikes illegal during the year for reasons such
as failure of the union to give adequate advance notice of the strike or
the addition of demands by the union during the course of the strike;
however, no striking workers were prosecuted. Many strikes took place during the year. Although most strikes
were fairly brief, they affected productivity and disrupted daily life in
the center of Athens. Strikes by public sector employees, including
mass transport employees, lasted between 1 and 5 days and primarily
concerned securing timely pay increases and greater job security.
Labor unions organized large demonstrations and rallies in April and May
to protest government plans to reform the social security system. Unions are free to join international associations and maintain a
variety of international affiliations, and almost all do so. b. The Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively The law provides for the right to organize and bargain collectively in
the private sector and in public corporations, and unions exercise these
rights freely. There are no restrictions on collective bargaining
for private sector employees. Civil servants have the right to organize and bargain collectively with
the Ministry of Public Administration. The civil servants
confederation conducted official negotiations with the Ministry of
Interior for the first time in 1999. The law provides for mediation procedures, with compulsory arbitration
as a last resort. A National Mediation, Reconciliation, and
Arbitration Organization is used in the private sector and public
corporations (the military and civil service excluded). While
mediation is voluntary, failure to agree during mediation makes
arbitration compulsory, as decided by the mediation
organization. Three free trade zones operate according to European Union
regulations. The labor laws apply equally in these zones. c. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor The Constitution prohibits forced or compulsory labor; however, women
were trafficked into the country for the purpose of prostitution (see
Sections 5 and 6.f.). The Government may declare the "civil
mobilization" of workers in the event of danger to national security,
life, property, or the social and economic life of the country. The
International Labor Organization (ILO) Committee of Experts has criticized
this power as tantamount to forced labor. The Government did not
resort to civil mobilization during the year. The Constitution prohibits all forms of forced or compulsory labor
although no legislation specifically prohibits forced and bonded labor by
children, and girls are trafficked into the country for the purpose of
prostitution (see Sections 5 and 6.f.). There are also reports that
Romani children are forced into begging (see Section 5). d. Status of Child Labor Practices and Minimum Age for
Employment The minimum age for employment in the industrial sector is 15 years,
with higher limits for certain activities. The minimum age is 12
years in family businesses, theaters, and the cinema. These age
limits are enforced by occasional Labor Inspectorate spot checks and
generally are observed; however, families engaged in agriculture, food
service, and merchandising often have younger family members assisting
them, at least part time. In November the Government ratified ILO Convention 182 on the worst
forms of child labor. The Constitution contains a blanket prohibition of compulsory labor;
however, no specific legislation explicitly prohibits forced and bonded
labor by children, and there were reports of such practices among Romani
children (see Sections 5 and 6.c.). Trafficking in girls for
prostitution also was a problem (see Section 6.f.). e. Acceptable Conditions of Work Collective bargaining between the GSEE and the Employers' Association
determines a nationwide minimum wage. The Ministry of Labor
routinely ratifies this minimum wage, which has the force of law and
applies to all workers. The minimum wage of $19.50 (7,221
drachma) daily and $435.50 (161,138 drachma) monthly, effective July 1,
provides a decent standard of living for a worker and family. The
maximum legal workweek is 40 hours in the private sector and 371/2 hours
in the public sector. The law provides for at least one 24-hour rest
period per week, mandates paid vacation of 1 month per year, and sets
limits on overtime. Legislation provides for minimum standards of occupational health and
safety. Although the GSEE characterized health and safety
legislation as satisfactory, it stated that enforcement, which is the
responsibility of the Labor Inspectorate, was inadequate. The Labor
Inspectorate operates under a central authority. Workers do not have
the legal right to remove themselves from situations that they believe
endanger their health; however, they do have the right to lodge a
confidential complaint with the Labor Inspectorate. Inspectors have
the right to close down machinery or a process for a period of up to 5
days if they see safety or health hazards that they believe represent an
imminent danger to the workers. Foreign workers are protected by law, but in practice their wages
usually are lower, and they work longer hours. f. Trafficking in Persons The law does not specifically criminalize trafficking in persons,
although other statutes in the Penal Code could be used to prosecute such
cases, and Greece is both a transit and destination country for trafficked
women and girls, primarily for sexual exploitation and domestic
service. Local police corruption facilitates trafficking in the
country. Trafficking in women and girls for prostitution in the country
increased sharply in the last few years. An academic observer
estimated that approximately 40,000 women, most between the ages of 12 and
25, are trafficked to the country each year for prostitution. At any
given time, 16,000 to 20,000 trafficked women or girls are in the country,
according to unofficial estimates. Major countries of origin include
Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, Albania, and Romania. Women from North
Africa (Tunisia and Algeria), Asia (Thailand and the Philippines), the
Dominican Republic, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and Serbia, and the Middle East
also were trafficked to the country. Local police corruption also played a role in facilitating trafficking
into the country. NGO's reported that some police officers are on
the payrolls of organized crime networks involved in trafficking.
Media reports have implicated several police officers as participants in
prostitution rings. For example, the Kathemerini newspaper reported
during the year that an aide to the former Minister of Public Order, a
former chief of the Omonia police precinct, and a police sergeant were
arrested in connection with a racket that provided protection to brothels
and nightclubs in Athens from 1995 to 1997. At year's end, judicial
action on the case remained pending. The newspaper Eleftherotypia
reported that several police officers were arrested in November 2000 in
connection with a ring that reportedly imported up to 1,200 women from
neighboring countries. At year's end, legal action on these cases
remained pending. During the year, a number of police officers were
arrested in connection with trafficking offenses; most arrests were in
small towns, villages, and border areas. There are no specific laws that deal with trafficking. Instead,
trafficking is considered a subunit of the broader issue of organized
crime. A new organized crime law, implemented in June, enhances
prosecutors' ability to charge traffickers: it states that the
abduction or illegal detention of a woman without her consent for the
purpose of involving her in "acts of debauchery" is a crime. But the
crime must involve at least three perpetrators for this law to be
used. The lack of laws has made the prosecution of trafficking
difficult. Arrests and court cases for prostitution by unlicensed
foreign women (in the country illegally), and cases against their
traffickers, increased but remain at a very low level. Fines and
sentences for traffickers are minimal. In the past, foreign women illegally in the country who were
apprehended by the authorities for prostitution were placed in a
deportation center or deported immediately by train, plane, or on
foot. Approximately 2,400 trafficked women were deported during the
year; however, many were brought back quickly into the country, according
to official sources. New immigration and organized crime laws were
passed in May and June that increased protection for women who press
charges against their traffickers by allowing them to remain in the
country legally and setting aside any previous convictions. The new
laws were being implemented at year's end. Trafficking in women received significant amounts of media attention
during the year. In a July report, HRW criticized the Government for
the absence of comprehensive legislation against trafficking, few
prosecutions of traffickers, a lack of witness protection and services
programs for victims, their continued detention and deportation, and the
continuing complicity of police officers in trafficking. During the year, the NGO, Doctors of the World, and the local
Intergovernmental Organization for Migration office began working on
trafficking issues, along with some domestic NGO's. | |||||