Greece has been repeatedly condemned and ordered to pay financial damages by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) for systemic human rights violations. Concurrently, Greek domestic courts have issued landmark criminal sentences against corporate executives involved in widespread surveillance abuses.
The primary international rulings against the Greek government, alongside notable local legal actions regarding human rights abuses, involve the following key cases:
International Condemnations (European Court of Human Rights)
The ECtHR serves as the judicial watchdog for the Council of Europe. Because Greece is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, it is legally bound by these decisions:
•Systemic Migrant Pushbacks: In a unanimous landmark ruling, the ECtHR formally confirmed Greece’s systematic practice of pushing third-country nationals back across the border to Turkey without assessing their risk of harm. The court found Greece guilty of unlawful detention and failing to provide effective legal remedies.
•Abuse of Unaccompanied Children: The ECtHR condemned Greece for subjecting unaccompanied migrant children to inhumane and degrading treatment. Rulings exposed devastating physical and psychological conditions at the Samos Reception and Identification Center (RIC), where thousands lived in makeshift, overcrowded shacks. The Greek government was ordered to pay financial compensation to the victims.
•Violations of the Prohibition of Torture: The court issued over a dozen judgments against Greece for violating Article 3 of the European Convention (Prohibition of Torture and Degrading Treatment). These cases cited horrific detention conditions in police facilities and reception centers, including forcing a pregnant asylum seeker to live in hazardous camp conditions.
Domestic Criminal Sentences and Trials
Within Greece, the legal system has faced heavy international scrutiny regarding how it handles human rights defenders versus corporate actors:
•The "Predatorgate" Spyware Convictions: An Athens misdemeanor court delivered a massive domestic ruling over the unlawful use of Predator spyware to target journalists, politicians, and businessmen. Three executives from the spyware company Intellexa and a prominent businessman were found guilty of violating communications privacy and personal data systems. They were sentenced to 126 years in prison each, which was capped at the statutory maximum of 8 years because the charges were classified as misdemeanors.
•Criminalization of Humanitarian Aid: Conversely, Greek prosecutors spent years attempting to jail humanitarian workers involved in migrant search-and-rescue operations. Two dozen aid workers faced up to 20 years in prison on heavily criticized felony charges, such as migrant smuggling and money laundering. Following international outcries from organizations like Human Rights Watch, a court on the island of Lesbos fully acquitted the aid workers.