ΑGreek police hit after abuse claims
Officers of the police station in Athens were accused of torture
About 50 youths have hurled stones and set fire to a car at a police station in Athens whose officers were earlier accused of abusing Afghan immigrants, the Athens News Agency said.
Anti-riot police drove off the assailants on Friday.
One man was arrested for allegedly attacking police cars with an axe and another 18 were taken into temporary custody, the agency quoted Greek police as saying.
Police said they found the axe in a bag carried by the 29-year-old man and believed it had been used to damage cars outside the building.
No casualties were reported.
Torture charges
Non-governmental organisations had earlier accused police from the same precinct station of torturing Afghan immigrants.
Human-rights activists said last Tuesday that police raiding an Athens hostel carried out mock executions on Afghan immigrants, with one officer allegedly sticking a gun in a teenager's mouth.
"At least 30 immigrants were very seriously maltreated by police, who even carried out simulated executions on them, placing weapons against their heads and necks," Maria Kali, who works for a rehabilitation centre for torture victims, said.
Police said on Monday, after the broadcast of a television documentary highlighting the allegations, that they would investigate reports that officers had beaten Afghan and Iranian immigrants.
The programme, shown by the private TV channel Mega on Sunday, quoted reports from rights groups alleging that police clubbed the group of about 30 immigrants during raids last week.
Iro Varsami, a doctor with the medical charity Doctors of the World who tended 10 of the victims, said: "The number of immigrants who were tortured must be some 60, but we've found out only about 30 because others are hiding out of fear."
Greek non-governmental organisations have frequently condemned the treatment of asylum seekers and clandestine immigrants by Greek authorities.
Officers of the police station in Athens were accused of torture
About 50 youths have hurled stones and set fire to a car at a police station in Athens whose officers were earlier accused of abusing Afghan immigrants, the Athens News Agency said.
Anti-riot police drove off the assailants on Friday.
One man was arrested for allegedly attacking police cars with an axe and another 18 were taken into temporary custody, the agency quoted Greek police as saying.
Police said they found the axe in a bag carried by the 29-year-old man and believed it had been used to damage cars outside the building.
No casualties were reported.
Torture charges
Non-governmental organisations had earlier accused police from the same precinct station of torturing Afghan immigrants.
Human-rights activists said last Tuesday that police raiding an Athens hostel carried out mock executions on Afghan immigrants, with one officer allegedly sticking a gun in a teenager's mouth.
"At least 30 immigrants were very seriously maltreated by police, who even carried out simulated executions on them, placing weapons against their heads and necks," Maria Kali, who works for a rehabilitation centre for torture victims, said.
Police said on Monday, after the broadcast of a television documentary highlighting the allegations, that they would investigate reports that officers had beaten Afghan and Iranian immigrants.
The programme, shown by the private TV channel Mega on Sunday, quoted reports from rights groups alleging that police clubbed the group of about 30 immigrants during raids last week.
Iro Varsami, a doctor with the medical charity Doctors of the World who tended 10 of the victims, said: "The number of immigrants who were tortured must be some 60, but we've found out only about 30 because others are hiding out of fear."
Greek non-governmental organisations have frequently condemned the treatment of asylum seekers and clandestine immigrants by Greek authorities.
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only last year revelations of torture mobile phone vids in greek police.
16.09.2008 13:50
short transcription of that video which was supposed to be the last time Greek plod would be EVIL :
(Bald police officer, to the left):
- Harder, harder. Hit him harder, I'm telling you.
Sit down. You (points to the person to the right) will be number One. And you (points to the person to the left) will be number Two. Whoever hears their number beats up the other one. Do you understand? (Smacks one of the two). Do you understand? What number are you again?
-One.
-...and what number are you?
-Two.
- All right. Number One. (He smacks his friend).
Number Two. (He does the same).
Number One, five times. Quick, quick!
Number Two. Hit him better. And again... Now sit down. Number One, five times. That's good. Number two, don't turn your head. Sit down. Number two, five times. Faster number Two, faster! Hit harder. Harder!
Now I want you to face each other. Don't stand up, stay like you are, sitting. You will each hit each other with your hands.
-(Police officer in the back) Let's add some sound, shall we? You will both say "what a wanker I was, to go rob that old lady".
-(Bald police officer to the left): Each of you, before hitting the other, will say "I am a wanker".
-(Detainee to the left): I am a wanker (Slaps his friend. Detainee to the right does the same).
-(Officer) Very nice. Don't stop! Harder, hit him harder! Swap over and continue. Now say, "I'm a big wanker" and continue slapping each other. (They both do so. Officer filming the torture laughs).
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