Allegations Greece deployed an armed Afghan paramilitary unit to violently assault a group of 61 mostly-Turkish nationals seeking political asylum have raised alarm within the EU’s border agency, Frontex.
A report by the agency’s fundamental rights officer, Jonas Grimheden, alleges that an Afghan unit, operating under the supervision of three Greek officers, robbed, stabbed and beat the group of newly arrived migrants on 22 June 2023 at the Greek Evros river with Turkey.
The report says children were subjected to sexualised body searches, a pregnant woman was kicked in the stomach, while others tried to escape amid shots being fired.
Small children were initially separated from their mothers and only reunited after their persistent screams drew attention, it also says.
“The report documents concerning allegations. We expect those allegations to be investigated thoroughly,” said Frontex’s spokesperson, in an email.
Similar revelations of masked paramilitary forces being deployed in Greece are nothing new.
But that Pashto-speaking paramilitary are being tasked to carry out Greek orders is significant because it identifies them as Afghans.
The range of evidence, including authentic video footage of the assault, led Grimheden to conclude that the allegations are “established” — despite Greece’s denial of any wrongdoing.
“These actions are attributable to the Greek authorities,” concludes Grimheden in his report, noting that the authenticity of the video footage was not disputed by the Greeks.
“The officers [Greek] did not prevent or stop the violence by the masked ‘Afghan’ paramilitaries, and while not directly involved, they exercised control over the situation through issuing orders,” he said.
Some 53 members of the group were subsequently arrested by Turkish authorities. Of those 37 were sent to prison for their alleged opposition to the Turkish government.
Two of the victims told Grimheden that the Afghan men, who spoke broken Turkish, wore shoulder patches bearing a red wolf emblem and beat the children as severely as the adults.
Grimheden says the assault has verifiably breached the EU charter of rights, including inhuman treatment and the prohibition of collective expulsions.