URGENT ACTION

RESCUE 50 STRANDED REFUGEES 
Since 14 July, 50 people seeking safety, including 12 children, three pregnant women and a 70-year-old woman with diabetes, have been stranded in dangerous and dire conditions on one of the Evros islets. The individuals, who are Syrian and Palestinian refugees, have no food or safe drinking water and report that two of the children are sick and the woman with diabetes is in need of urgent medical care. Despite interim measures issued by the European Court of Human Rights last week, the group has not yet been rescued. The Greek authorities must urgently rescue them and provide support, health care, access to asylum procedures in Greece and protection from non-refoulement.

TAKE ACTION: WRITE AN APPEAL IN YOUR OWN WORDS OR USE THIS MODEL LETTER

Panagiotis Theodorikakos
Minister of Citizen Protection
Ministry of Citizen Protection 
P. Kanellopoulou 4
10177 Athens
Greece 
Email: pressoffice@yptp.gr
Twitter: @theodorikakosp

Dear Minister,

I am writing to express my deep concern over the safety and wellbeing of 50 people, who are refugees, who have been stranded since Thursday, 14 July 2022 in dangerous and dire conditions on one of the Evros river islets. The group consists of 47 Syrian nationals, including 13 individuals of Kurdish origin, and three Palestinians. Among them are 12 children, three pregnant women and a 70-year-old woman with diabetes. 

The refugees told the Greek Council and HumanRights360 – the two organizations representing them -   that they have no access to food, safe drinking water, medical attention and means to keep warm during the night. Two of the pregnant women are in advanced stages of pregnancy. In recent days, they reported in desperation their hunger and thirst and that two of the children are sick and the woman with diabetes is in need of urgent medical care.  
On 20 July 2022, the European Court of Human Rights issued interim measures requesting the Greek authorities not to remove the group of refugees from Greece and to provide them with” food, water and adequate medical care as needed until further notice”. However, until now the refugees have not yet been rescued. 

In light of the above, we call on you to comply urgently with the European Court of Human Rights interim measures and fulfil the country’s obligations under Rule 39 of the Rules of the Court. We urge you to ensure that the 50 refugees are rescued, provided with support and health care, access to asylum procedures in Greece and protection from non-refoulement. Their human rights to life, physical integrity, health must be protected.

Yours sincerely, 

Additional information

According to information received from the Greek Council for Refugees and HumanRights360 who represented the 50 refugees before the European Court of Human Rights, the Orestiada Police Directorate informed them that they could not trace the group. The organization has been informed that the authorities have been provided with the group’s coordinates.
The people stranded also reported to the two organizations that yesterday Arab-speaking individuals appeared and threatened them and told them to return to Turkey. Additionally, in the past few days, the group   told the two organizations that the 70-year-old woman with diabetes requires urgent medical assistance, one of the children has a fever and suffered from nose bleeds, and a second child fainted from the heat and hunger. 
Currently, violent pushbacks remain rampant at Greece’s borders and go unpunished while the criminalization of aid groups that try to help victims of pushbacks continues. In June 2021, through the testimonies of 16 victims, Amnesty International reported 21 incidents of group pushbacks to Turkey in 2020, conducted by individuals appearing to belong to law enforcement and individuals in civilian or unmarked clothing. The incidents were estimated to have affected around 1,000 people. Many victims experienced arbitrary detention and ill-treatment, in some cases amounting to torture. None of those interviewed had the opportunity to seek asylum or to challenge their return. The research, consistent with evidence from other reputable actors, showed that pushbacks were Greece’s de facto policy of border management. 

PREFERRED LANGUAGE TO ADDRESS TARGET: English
You can also write in your own language.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: 27 July 2022
Please check with the Amnesty office in your country if you wish to send appeals after the deadline

NAME AND PRONOUN: Group of 50 refugees (identity not made public)

Additional TARGETS

1.	Police Lt General Konstantinos Skoumas
Chief of the Hellenic Police
Hellenic Police Headquarters
P. Kanellopoulou 4
10177 Athens 
Greece
E-mail: kepik@astynomia.gr; press@hellenicpolice.gr
Salutation: Dear Lieutenant General

2. Charalambos Eleftheriadis
Orestiada Police Director
Orestiada Police Directorate 
Vasileos Konstandinou 4
682 00 Orestiada 
Evros
Greece

E-mail: adorestiadas@astynomia.gr and dorestiadas@hellenicpolice.gr
Salutation: Dear Sir

3.	Mr Ioannis Raptakis 
Embassy of Greece    
1A Holland Park, W11 3TP. 
gremb.lon@mfa.gr