Report by Nektaria Psaraki

For the third consecutive year, a coalition of independent organisations has submitted its findings to the European Commission as part of its annual review of national legal systems. The report, published on 4 February, was presented at a joint press conference at the Athens Bar Association under the title “Democracy Without Oxygen: The State of the Rule of Law in Greece Today.”

Governance: laws exist but are not enforced

Loukopoulos, the director of the independent NGO watchdog Vouliwatch outlined several major issues:

  • Lobbying regulations: Although Law 4829/21 was passed to enhance transparency and accountability, the register remains ineffective. Research by Vouliwatch shows that institutional contacts with interest groups remain largely undisclosed.
  • Gifts to MPs: Since 2016, the Greek Parliament has required a public register of gifts received by MPs. Following pressure from Vouliwatch, a register was published, but it was unsigned, unstamped, and difficult to locate. The declared gifts were minimal—only 25 gifts recorded for a handful of MPs, while the Speaker alone declared 85.
  • “Where are the gifts from?”: Public asset declarations are routinely delayed. Despite legal obligations, extensions have become the norm, meaning that, as of 2025, the latest available declarations date back to 2021.
  • Whistleblower protection: While a 2022 law incorporated the EU directive on whistleblower protection, the OECD reports that 71% of employees are unaware of it. Moreover, Greece’s decision to revoke witness protection in the Novartis scandal is expected to deter future disclosures.
  • Access to public information: Authorities routinely withhold public documents and ignore information requests. When cases go to court, they often remain unresolved.
  • Legislative process: In 2024, 42% of new bills were open for public consultation for less than 14 days, violating transparency laws. Additionally, 46 out of 48 bills included last-minute amendments, often irrelevant to the main legislation and introduced just before voting.

“The core problem is not a lack of laws but a chronic failure to enforce them,” Loukopoulos concluded. “When the state operates with impunity, it further erodes public trust in democracy.”

High-profile cases systematically buried

Minos Mouzourakis, a lawyer from Refugee Support Aegean (RSA), highlighted a pattern that links the Tempe train disaster, the Pylos shipwreck, the wiretapping scandal, police brutality, and illegal pushbacks:

“Whenever state bodies are involved, justice is flawed.”

He pointed to key cases:

  • The wiretapping scandal: The Supreme Court prosecutor closed the case without identifying a single suspect from the state apparatus.
  • Pushbacks: Over 200 complaints have been filed—not a single prosecution has been brought.
  • Pylos shipwreck: No key officials from the Coast Guard’s Operations Centre have been investigated, despite clear indications of their involvement.
  • Tempe disaster: Key evidence was destroyed or went missing, including CCTV footage, black box data and crucial documents.

By contrast, Mouzourakis noted, “victims and human rights defenders are systematically targeted with legal harassment.”

Denial, targeting, and prosecutions without results

Alexandros Konstantinou, a lawyer from the Greek Council for Refugees, outlined a three-step pattern in Greece’s approach to human rights violations:

  1. Deny the problem exists.
  2. Target those who expose it.
  3. Launch legal proceedings that go nowhere.

This was evident in Greece’s conviction at the European Court of Human Rights in January 2025 for pushbacks. The court ruled that pushbacks are systematic, yet the Greek judiciary has refused to investigate similar cases.

Criminalisation of solidarity and migrants

HIAS Greece, highlighted the criminalisation of NGOs, lawyers, and even asylum seekers themselves:

  • Migrants prosecuted for driving their own boats.
  • NGOs accused of “human smuggling” for reporting new arrivals.
  • A lawyer is currently facing charges simply for assisting migrants to apply for asylum.

“Authorities announce arrests with dramatic headlines, but they never publicise the outcome—because most cases collapse,” said Elli Kriona-Saranti from HIAS.

The wiretapping scandal: normalising surveillance

Reporters United journalist Thodoris Chondrogiannos described a deliberate effort to legalise state surveillance:

  • The wiretapping case was closed without identifying any political suspects.
  • Illegal Predator spyware remains in use, yet no agency has been held accountable.
  • ADAE, the independent watchdog, has faced government attacks and judicial harassment.

Media, business, and state collusion

Solomon researcher Danae Maragoudaki revealed a toxic entanglement between mainstream media, big business, and the state:

  • Major media owners also control football clubs and shipping companies.
  • Government advertising is used to reward friendly outlets.

“We must strengthen media oversight—otherwise, we face a serious transparency crisis,” Maragoudaki warned.

Police violence: impunity remains the norm

Police brutality remains systematically unpunished, according to the Hellenic Union for Human Rights.

Recent cases include:

  • The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling against Greece for police violence against Roma citizens.
  • The flash bang grenade attack on photojournalist Marios Lolos at the Tempe protest march.
  • The rare conviction of three police officers for the brutal beating of Vasilis Maggos.

“Police violence does not just threaten citizens—it threatens democracy itself,” said Katerina Pournara.

Data protection violations: ministries fined

Homo Digitalis highlighted severe breaches of personal data laws, including:

  • €175,000 fine for the Ministry of Migration for illegal surveillance in asylum camps.
  • €400,000 fine for the Interior Ministry over the leak of foreign voters’ data.
  • €50,000 fine for the Climate Change Ministry for failing to comply with privacy laws.

Yet independent watchdogs are systematically undermined, underfunded, and politically pressured.

“The fight for justice is only lost when people stop fighting”

Former Athens Bar Association vice president Alexandros Mantzoutsos closed the event with a call to action:

“The Greek legal system is in crisis, but justice is only lost when people stop fighting for it.”

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