Human rights in Greece
Encyclopedia
Human rights in Greece
are observed by various organizations. The country is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights
, the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees
and the United Nations Convention Against Torture
. The Greek constitution
also guarantees fundamental human rights to all Greek citizens.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
are observed by various organizations. The country is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights
European Convention on Human Rights
The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...
, the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees
Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees
The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees is an international convention that defines who is a refugee, and sets out the rights of individuals who are granted asylum and the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum. The Convention also sets out which people do not...
and the United Nations Convention Against Torture
United Nations Convention Against Torture
The United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment is an international human rights instrument, under the review of the United Nations, that aims to prevent torture around the world....
. The Greek constitution
Constitution of Greece
The Constitution of Greece , was created by the Fifth Revisional Parliament of the Hellenes and entered into force in 1975. It has been revised three times since, most significantly in 1986, and also in 2001 and in 2008. The Constitutional history of Greece goes back to the Greek War of...
also guarantees fundamental human rights to all Greek citizens.
Amnesty International
According to Amnesty International's 2007 report on Greece, there are problems in the following areas:- Treatment of migrants and refugees.
- Treatment of conscientious objectorConscientious objectorA conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
s to military serviceConscription in GreeceAs of 2009, Greece has mandatory military service of 9 months for men between the ages of 18 and 45. Citizens discharged from active service are normally placed in the Reserve and are subject to periodic recall of 1–10 days at irregular intervals.-Duration:Universal conscription was introduced in...
. - Failure to grant necessary protection to women victims of domestic violenceDomestic violenceDomestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
or trafficking and forced prostitutionForced prostitutionForced prostitution, also known as involuntary prostitution, is the act of performing sexual activity in exchange for money on a non-voluntary basis. There are a wide range of entry routes into prostitution, ranging from "voluntary and deliberate" entry, "semi-voluntary" based on pressure of...
. - The report also highlights cases involving arbitrary arrests in the context of the 'war on terrorWar on TerrorThe War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
' and Greece's conviction by the European Court of Human RightsEuropean Court of Human RightsThe European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
for violating Article 9 of the European Convention on Human RightsEuropean Convention on Human RightsThe Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...
by convicting an unofficial muftiMuftiA mufti is a Sunni Islamic scholar who is an interpreter or expounder of Islamic law . In religious administrative terms, a mufti is roughly equivalent to a deacon to a Sunni population...
of the for 'usurping the function of a minister of a "known religion"'.
US State Department
The US Department of State's 2007 report on human rights in Greece identified the following issues:- Cases of abuse by security forces, particularly of illegal immigrants and Roma.
- Overcrowding and harsh conditions in some prisons.
- Detention of undocumented migrants in squalid conditions.
- Restrictions and administrative obstacles faced by members of non‑Orthodox religions.
- Detention and deportation of unaccompanied or separated immigrant minors, including asylum seekers.
- Limits on the ability of ethnic minority groups to self-identify, and discrimination against and social exclusion of ethnic minorities, particularly Roma.
International rankings
- Democracy IndexDemocracy IndexThe Democracy Index is an index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit that claims to measure the state of democracy in 167 countries, of which 166 are sovereign states and 165 are UN member states...
, 2010: 28 out of 167 - Worldwide Press Freedom Index, 2008: 31 out of 173.
- Worldwide Privacy Index, 2006: 1 out of 26.
- Worldwide Quality-of-life Index, 2005: 22 out of 111.
See also
- Turks of Western ThraceTurks of Western ThraceTurks of Western Thrace are ethnic Turks who live in Western Thrace, in the north-eastern part of Greece.According to the Greek census of 1991, there were approximately 50,000 Turks in Western Thrace, out of the approximately 98,000 strong Muslim minority of Greece...
- Conscription in GreeceConscription in GreeceAs of 2009, Greece has mandatory military service of 9 months for men between the ages of 18 and 45. Citizens discharged from active service are normally placed in the Reserve and are subject to periodic recall of 1–10 days at irregular intervals.-Duration:Universal conscription was introduced in...
- Minorities in GreeceMinorities in GreeceIndigenous minorities in Greece are small in size compared to regional standards. The country is largely ethnically homogeneous. This is mainly due to the population exchanges between Greece and neighboring Turkey and Bulgaria , which removed most Muslims and those Christian Slavs who did not...
- Gay rights in GreeceGay rights in GreeceLesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in Greece may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity are legal in Greece, but households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to...
- 1990 Komotini events
External links
- NCHR - National Committee for Human Rights
- Human Rights Watch - Greece
- Censorship in Greece - IFEXInternational Freedom of Expression ExchangeThe International Freedom of Expression eXchange , founded in 1992, is a global network of around 90 non-governmental organisations that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression....
- United Nations Committee against Torture
- European Council on Refugees and Exiles
- Amnesty International Report for 2007
- US Department of StateUnited States Department of StateThe United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2007: Greece - Freedom House