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102 MEPs from the Social Democrats, Greens, Leftists and Liberals call for urgent explanations from the European Commission and a thorough investigation into the March 4 death of Mohamed Gulzar in Evros.
MEPs ask President Ursula von der Leyen, Vice President Margaritis Schoinas and Interior Commissioner Ilva Johansson for the details of their revelations. research carried out for more than two months the Forensic Architecture research teams, Bellingcat and Lighthouse Reports and the German magazine Spiegel, in collaboration with journalists from Pointer and Sky News.
“According to the data, it is very likely that these shots came from the Greek side,” is the conclusion, which leaves very little room for doubt.
Extensive research reconstructs the events of that day by analyzing hundreds of videos and photos, eyewitness accounts and expert analysis, and using geolocation methods and 3D images.
MEPs say they did not respond to a letter from 122 MEPs to the European Commission on March 25 expressing concern over the flagrant violation of fundamental rights and the serious deterioration of the legitimacy of the current Greek-Turkish border. action for complaints of excessive violence.
“The complete answer to our questions about the human rights violations of refugees and migrants in Greece has become more urgent after the publication of the data on the shooting incident on the Greek-Turkish border,” they point out.
MEPs said in a statement during a visit to Evros in early March by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that border management “is the responsibility of the whole of Europe.”
They point out: “S.We agree that the management of Greek borders is a shared responsibility of the EU, which must be guided by European legislation, including the Schengen Borders Code, which requires Member States to act in full compliance with the Charter of Letters. essential when managing borders. of EU legislation, such as the Geneva Conventions, as well as obligations related to access to international protection and fundamental rights. Therefore, we hope that the European Commission will take full responsibility for thoroughly investigating the findings revealed by the reconstitution of the facts, which are causing very serious concern, and presenting the results to the European Parliament. If the Greek government and the European Commission do not respond to complaints, we will witness a punishment that cannot be tolerated in a Union based on respect for the rule of law.».
And they ask:
- how the Commission reacts to the conclusion that border guards on the Greek side of the Greek-Turkish border shot people with 5.5mm bullets, resulting in seven deaths, one fatal.
- How does the Commission react to the denial of the Greek government, which denies a similar incident with fire by the Greek authorities, as well as the statement that “those who tried to enter Greece illegally did not have a strong / obvious refugee profile”?
- whether the Commission has received contrary information or investigations from the Greek government that legitimize its position and the characterization of “false news” attributed to the accusations
- whether the 530 border guards sent by Frontex to the border on March 4 were close to the scene and whether the aerial surveillance planes that had been dispatched on the day of the events had recorded the shooting.
“How will the Commission investigate the results and what measures will it take to prevent the excessive use of force against migrants or refugees at European external borders in the future?” MEPs finally ask.
Spiegel: Europe’s analgesia in Evros
Regarding the European silence on the investigation, the magazine Spiegel comments on “shootings against immigrants”. The Painless Continent “is the headline of Spiegel’s comment on the magazine’s investigations, according to which, last March, the Muslim Gulzar from Pakistan was probably killed by Greek border guards in Evros. Journalist Maximilian Pop in his comment asks what will be the fate of the magazine’s relevant research: “Now what? Are there furious protests in the EU member states? An intervention by the Commission? An international committee that will clarify the case? Of course, no. All that exists is silence. Certainly, the crown crisis requires strength and attention. And yes, the situation on the Turkish-Greek border was special, because Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pressured Greece with the unilateral denunciation of the EU-Turkey refugee agreement. But both are not an excuse for Europeans to accept this breaking of the taboo on their borders. The analysis of those seeking protection, however, did not start in March 2020, it is the result of a process of extortion that has been going on for many years. “
And the comment continues: “European politicians have taken measures that right-wing populists would not even dare to dream about. Chancellor Merkel’s decision in the summer of 2015 not to close the borders to people in need is no longer seen. as a gesture of humanity, which was also, but almost exclusively, a loss of control … The EU states have stopped completely sea rescue and for this reason as many people drown in proportion in the Mediterranean as in nowhere else. They are sending people back to the Libyan civil war even though they will be sent to the front or tortured to death in prison. “
Spiegel concludes: “The shootings at migrants and migrants on the Turkish-Greek border fit this picture. And yet they are also a crossroads. Here, the European border guards not only failed to provide assistance. But most likely they were the perpetrators themselves It is possible that Gulzar was accidentally hit by a fired missile. However, it would be the responsibility of the Greek (and European) authorities to verify this. By characterizing all reports of attacks on immigrants as Turkish propaganda, the Greek government makes it impossible clarify the case. The Europeans have decided to close their borders to refugees. Obviously they don’t want to know exactly what the price of this decision is. “
