Greece’s foreign ministry issued its more-or-less standard response on Tuesday vis-a-vis the annual U.S. State Department report on human rights, which gauges and details the human rights situation in every country and territory in the world sans one, the United States.
In response to the passage on Greece, Athens reminds that the report, mandated by the US Congress, merely records allegations from various non-governmental organizations without independent verification.
The foreign ministry also underlined that a response by the official Greek state was not sought or recorded, raising the standing issues over the integrity, credibility and objectivity of the annual US federal government report.
While progress in the protection of rights in Greece is acknowledged on many levels, the report overlooks or completely ignores regulatory interventions and national strategies in recent years to ensure the rights of vulnerable groups of citizens, such as persons with disabilities, LGBTQI individuals and unaccompanied minors trafficked by migrant smugglers.
Finally, the ministry emphasized that the “Greek government will continue to consistently serve democracy and the rule of law in Greece, deepening the substantive equality of citizens and their individual and social rights, and improving their quality of life.”
The State Department’s report, released a day earlier, claimed that Greece recorded no progress in protecting human rights in 2023. The US government also expressed concern about several issues, as highlighted in a recent resolution – passed by a majority – in the European Parliament on the Rule of Law in Greece.
Specifically, the report cites the “harsh, inhumane or degrading treatment” of migrants and detainees, targeted violence against racial or ethnic minorities, and crimes against members of the LGBTQI+ community.
Furthermore, regarding the wiretapping scandal, the report adopts references indicating that the pattern of evidence implicates Greek authorities in the use of the Predator spyware.
