A footage delivered by a Palestinian refugee as part of Agenda Item 4 of a panel discussion with the UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur sounded the alarm over the violence and human rights abuses by Greek authorities against migrants and asylum seekers.

“I am Ahmed Abbassi, a Palestinian refugee displaced from Yarmouk Camp to Turkey. I tried to reach Greece by sea on September 01, 2022 along with a number of Palestinian and Syrian refugee families seeking humanitarian asylum”, said Ahmed.

“As soon as we reached Greek territorial waters, we were attacked by Greek coast guard and subjected to heavy beating. They damaged our vessel and pushed us back to Turkey’s territorial waters. We risked to die at any moment as our inoperative and overcrowded boat was left for hours at sea, with scores of children and women onboard.”

“Earlier, I tried to cross Turkish-Greek borders but Greek border police violently beat us, robbed us of all of our belongings, including our money, mobile phones, passports, and clothes, and left us on our own on the borders with Turkey”, added Ahmed.

The refugee called on the humanitarian and human rights organizations to take urgent action in order to halt such illegal and non-humanitarian practices by Greek coast guards and border police which led to the death and disappearance of dozens of migrants in Greek waters and on borderlands.

Watch the statement here

https://youtu.be/3IvnmZBHmiE