European Court Rules Greece Violated Human Rights in Refugee Case

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The European Court of Human Rights has condemned Greece for the unlawful pushback of a Turkish refugee. In a ruling issued today, the court found that there were indications of a systematic practice of pushbacks, which constitutes a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The case revolves around a Turkish woman convicted in Turkey in 2019 for her association with the Gülen movement, an organization designated as terrorist by Ankara, which blames it for the failed coup attempt in 2016. The woman attempted to flee to Greece via the Evros River but was intercepted on Greek territory.

According to her claims, once apprehended, her asylum application was not processed, and authorities confiscated her personal belongings. She was subsequently transported first in a truck and then by rubber boat back to the Turkish side of the river, where she was detained.

The Court, operating independently from the EU, stated that such treatment was inhumane, emphasizing that authorities should not have returned her without addressing her asylum request or assessing the risks she faced in Turkey. Greece has been ordered to compensate the woman with 20,000 euros for the violation of her rights.

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