Project: Legal aid for victims of hate crime

Targets: Throughout 2017, we have been witnessing an alarming increase of hate crime incidents in Greece. This is linked both to the reversion of the generalized welcoming sentiment towards refugees and migrants that was prevalent in Greece throughout 2015-2016, and to the fact that the Golden Dawn trial is in a turning point, triggering new developments.

Within this context, new formulations and modus operandi of organized racist groups appear, such as targeting refugee shelters and homes of refugees or targeting lawyers and human rights defenders that are directly linked with the Golden Dawn trial, as well as the appearance of new organized racist groups that substitute for the ones we had seen in the past and are now dismantled because of the GD trial. At the same time, “traditional” forms of hate crimes that target specific communities are on the rise, an alarming phenomenon for which members of the civil society –including those of HumanRights360 – have filed a complaint before the Prosecutor of the High Court.

Activities and results:

Within this context, there is an increasing need for provision of support and legal services for victims of hate crime, thus contributing to recognize, record and address hate crimes in a comprehensive way. The project includes a specialized legal aid service that will ensure: 1. Recognizing and reporting, 2. Refer to medical aid, 3. Legal aid and support, 4. Refer to psychosocial support, 5. Legal representation of the victims, and 6. Advocating before the authorities.

The project has two main goals: a. To provide concrete and comprehensive support services to victims of hate crime, and b. through this service provision, to highlight the procedural, institutional and legal gaps and formulate advocacy positions to the competent authorities.

You need more information or want to report a hate crime? Contact us at 6945.064520 or maria.paraskeva@humanrights360.org.

Implementation period: 2018-2019

The recording of Racist Incidents is performed with the methodology and under the auspices of the Racist Violence Recording Network, of which HumanRights360 is a member.

The project is implemented with the support of the Open Society Foundations.