Greece sent 42 refugees back to Turkey after stripping them naked, Ankara says

Turkish Defense Ministry has said that Greece sent 42 refugees back to Turkey after beating them and stripping them naked. "The individuals in question were taken to Edirne Provincial Gendarmerie Command," it said.

Tuesday June 29 2021 02:02 pm

Duvar English

Turkish Defense Ministry on June 29 said that Greece sent 42 refugees back to Turkey after beating them and stripping them naked.

According to the ministry statement, the refugees were caught in the western province of Edirne and were taken to Edirne Provincial Gendarmerie Command.

The refugees reportedly told Turkish authorities that they were beaten by Greek authorities upon crossing to the country and were subjected to maltreatment. They also said that they were denied food and water and 12 of them were stripped naked.

"It was determined that they were forcefully sent back after being beaten," the ministry said.

Greece's violent acts against refugees have been making headlines for months. Most recently, Amnesty International said that Greek border forces are violently and illegally detaining groups of refugees and migrants before summarily returning them to Turkey, in contravention of their human rights obligations under EU and international law.

"It is clear that multiple arms of the Greek authorities are closely coordinating to brutally apprehend and detain people who are seeking safety in Greece, subjecting many to violence, then transferring them to the banks of the Evros river before summarily returning them to Turkey," Adriana Tidona, Migration researcher for Europe at Amnesty International, said.