AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Media Advisory

AI Index: EUR 25/020/2005 (Public)

News Service No: 262

29 September 2005

Invitation to Press Launch

Greece: Violation of human rights on the margins of society

Foreigners shot on the border, asylum-seekers detained in metal containers, Roma forcibly evicted from their homes in Athens -- these are some of the examples of a consistent pattern of human rights violations, which will be revealed in Amnesty International's new report on Greece, Out of the spotlight: The rights of foreigners and minorities are still a grey area.

The report highlights the failure of the Greek authorities to comply with human rights law and standards regarding access to the asylum process, the detention of migrants and the protection from discrimination and ill-treatment.

When: 5 October 2005, 1200h local time (0900h GMT)

Where: Enosi Syntakton Imerision Efimeridon Athinon

Akadimias 20

Athens

Who: Gerasimos Kouvaras, Director of Amnesty International Greece

Olga Demetriou, Researcher on Greece, Amnesty International, International Secretariat

Halya Gowan, Deputy Programme Director for Europe and Central Asia, Amnesty International, International Secretariat

Ioanna Kourtovik, Lawyer

Mustafa Mustafa, former MP "Left Alliance" party

Prokopis Nicolaou, victim of forced eviction

Contacts: Nikos Mastrakoulis, Press Officer, Amnesty International Greece; Tel. (+30) 6932 0694 77; e-mail: nmas@otenet.gr

George Christodoulides, Campaigner, Amnesty International Greece; Tel. (+30) 697 67 96 986; e-mail: campainers@amnesty.org.gr

Lydia Aroyo, Press Officer for Europe and Central Asia, Amnesty International, International Secretariat; Tel. +44 (0) 20 74135599, +44 (0) 7771796350, e-mail: laroyo@amnesty.org

Public Document

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For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566

Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web: http://www.amnesty.org

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