Arms Trade Treaty Campaign Briefing - Amnesty International

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10© Orestis Panagiotou-Athens press agencyLeft: Injured journalist Manolis Kypreosdescribes to members of the press the momentwhen a police officer allegedly threw a stungrenade in front of him. Athens, Greece,June 2011.© AP Photo/ Petros GiannakourisGreeceJourNaList iNJured by poLicestuN GreNademanolis KypreosOn 15 June 2011, journalist ManolisKypreos’ hearing was permanently damagedwhen a police officer threw a stun grenadein front of him.Numerous protests have taken place inAthens and other major Greek cities during2011 against austerity measures beingintroduced by the government. Manolis wasdoing his job reporting on the protests inAthens when he witnessed police sprayingchemicals at peaceful protesters, throwingstun grenades at them and beating themwith police batons near Syntagma Square.The police told him to stop taking photos.Manolis produced his journalist accreditationbut the head of the riot police unit swore athim and pointed him out to another officerwho then threw a stun grenade. Theexplosion, approximately 50cm fromManolis, knocked him to the ground. Afterdemonstrators helped him to his feet again,he realized that he could not hear.Surgery may help Manolis regain somehearing in one ear but his second ear ispermanently damaged. A criminal and adisciplinary investigation have been openedby the Greek authorities regarding his case.He has also filed a lawsuit asking forcompensation and reparations from theGreek state.Amnesty International has documentedseveral cases of excessive use of forceby the police and excessive use ofchemicals and tear gas during the recentdemonstrations in Greece. The PublicProsecutor of the Athens First InstanceCourts is currently undertaking criminalinvestigations into the allegations ofexcessive use of force, including with teargas, by the police during the 15, 28 and29 June demonstrations. A Greek memberof parliament has asked the government toclarify the health impacts of the use of teargas by the police.Amnesty International has long-standingconcerns about policing in Greece,including a culture of impunity thatprevails among law enforcement officials,excessive use of force against protestersand ill-treatment of individuals in custody.Yet, without legally binding human rightscriteria under an Arms Trade Treaty, policeweapons and munitions have beencontinually supplied to Greece by foreigncompanies.“I truly hope I am the lastvictim of police violence. Indemocratic societies, problemscan’t be solved with violencebut through dialogue.’’manolis Kypreos at a press conference, 12 July 2011amnesty international January 2012 index: aCt 30/001/2012
Protesters clash with riot police outside theGreek Parliament during a demonstration bythe Panhellenic Federation of WorkersAssociation (POE-OTA) in May 2011. Theunion was protesting against an increase inworking hours for civil servants.11financialyearamountUs$2000 18,5962002 5,0252004 4,1252007 27,0702008 55,2502009 55,5612010 103,137The export of riot control agents (including teargas) from the USA to Greece increasedsignificantly between 2000 and 2010.main poliCe arms sUppliers togreeCeAccording to evidence gathered by AmnestyInternational during the June 2011 protests,the stun grenades and tear gas canistersrecovered in Syntagma square a day afterthe 29 June demonstration were made inBrazil, Germany, UK and USA. Theseincluded: GL-311 tear gas grenade, made byCondor Tecnologias Não Letais in Brazil. 2-bang “sound and flash” device byGerman company Nico Pyrotechnik inOctober 2001. N591 Stun Grenade, made by the UKbasedcompany Chemring; Tear Ball Multi Effect Grenade and the8230 Tactical Grenade – both made by USmanufacturer Combined Tactical Systems;and the 555 CS grenade made by UScompany Federal Laboratories.It is not known when the grenades used bypolice in June were transferred to Greece.The Brazilian GL-311 tear gas grenade hada manufacturing date of September 2010but Brazil does not publish an annual reporton its arms exports.According to EU annual reports on armsexports, Germany has licensed ammunitionexports to Greece annually since 2003 andUS$1,121,330 worth of toxic agentsbetween 2003 and 2005, including riotcontrol agents such as tear gas.In 2010, according to government data, theUK authorized an open export licence,which can last between two and five years,allowing multiple shipments for a range ofpolicing equipment to Greece. Thisincluded CS hand grenades, stun grenades,tear gas and other riot control agents. TheUK also licensed stun grenades to Greecein 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008. Since2000, the UK authorities periodicallyauthorized open licences for a companyselling a variety of stun, smoke and tear gasammunition.recommeNdatioNsThe Greek Minister of Justice and GreekMinister of Citizens’ Protection shouldensure that: The criminal and disciplinaryinvestigations into the injury and illtreatmentof Manolis Kypreos are prompt,independent, thorough and effective. The police officers responsible for hisinjury and ill-treatment are brought tojustice, and disciplinary measures arebrought against them. Manolis Kypreos is provided withcompensation which takes full account ofthe consequences of his loss of hearing.index: aCt 30/001/2012 amnesty international January 2012
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Arms Trade Treaty Campaign Briefing - Amnesty International

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