US critisizes Greece on Human Rights

U.S. Department of State released Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012

The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour of U.S. Department of State, throughout its report on Greece Country Report on Human Rights Prcetices for 2012, refers to discirimination against and social exclusion caused by restrictions in freedom of Western Thrace Turkish Minority on its ethnic self-identification.

Western Thrace Turkish Minority in U.S. Human Rights Report

The report provides observations on the bid of autochtonous Turkish minority in north-east of the country to be recognised as “minority” or a “linguistic minority”, whereas the Greece officially and only recognizes the “Muslim minority” defined within the framework of the Lausanne Peace Treaty between Greece and Turkey in 1923.

The report notes on the ban of using the word “Turk” within the title of associations, whereby Greece does not implement the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) decisions on the re-establihment and official recognition of the associations “Home of Macedonian Culture” and “Xanthi Turkish Union”. Furthermore, the last decision officially issued in April by Supreme Court backes Greece not to implement the ECtHR decision with a statement that ECtHR decision requiring Greece to recognise Turkish Xanthi Union was not binding.

In relation to Greek media law, the report releases the requirments set as such that 25% of broadcasting time shall be held in Greek, minimum number of staff and amount of capital while compliance with 24-hour broadcasting. The report, citing Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) representative on the freedom of media call from the previous years for lowering minimum requirements, affirms the difficulty for low-cost, minority broadcasters to receive authorisation thus, pluralistic nature of media in Greece run the risks of being endangered.

The report informs about the government’s policy in relation to family law and civil rights of the “Muslim minority in Thrace”. In accordance with state policy, Sheria is recognised as regulatory set of rules for Muslims’ marrige concluded by state appointed Muftis. Yet, the report, commented by UN Independent Expert on Minorities, points out that the position of women in family, property law and legal system is a disadvataged one in comparison to that of men. The report devotes special attention on National Commission on Human Rights’ recommendations to Greek government on confining the scope of state appointed Mufti’s duties to the religious dimension and to given an end with taking Sheria as a point of reference.

You can access the full report on:http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/204503.pdf