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GREEK HELSINKI MONITOR (GHM)
Address: P.O. Box 60820, 15304 Glyka Nera
Telephone: (+3) 010.347.22.59. Fax: (+3) 010.601.87.60.
e-mail: office@greekhelsinki.gr website: http://www.greekhelsinki.gr
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PRESS RELEASE
8 October 2002
TOPIC: "SOMETHING'S GOING ON AT THE GYPS'!" ATHENS-PIRAEUS SUPERPREFECTURE CANDIDATES HAVE NO STANCE ON ROMA!
GREEK HELSINKI MONITOR (GHM)
Address: P.O. Box 60820, 15304 Glyka Nera
Telephone: (+3) 010.347.22.59. Fax: (+3) 010.601.87.60.
e-mail: office@greekhelsinki.gr website: http://www.greekhelsinki.gr
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PRESS RELEASE
8 October 2002
TOPIC: "SOMETHING'S GOING ON AT THE GYPS'!" ATHENS-PIRAEUS SUPERPREFECTURE CANDIDATES HAVE NO STANCE ON ROMA!
Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) expresses its disappointment that the four candidate superprefects for Athens - Piraeus chose not to take a stance on the most basic human rights problem in their area, the squalid living conditions and repeated attempted evictions of the Roma. The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) refers to "apartheid conditions" (http://www.greekhelsinki.gr/bhr/greek/articles_2002/rep_25_02_02.rtf) and Alvaro Gil-Robles, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe to "conditions very remote from what is demanded by respect for human dignity"
(http://www.commissioner.coe.int/docs/CommDH(2002)5_E.doc). GHM, in the letter below, asked the candidates to reply to two detailed letters on the problem that the Greek Ombudsman (GO) sent to the Prefect of Athens Eleni Besbea (8/3/2001) and the General Secretary of the Region (GSR) of Attica (26/2/2002). Neither the Prefect nor the GSR did reply to the GO, just as the candidates for the position of Eleni Besbea did not reply "through GHM". It seems that for all the above "something's going on at the gyps'!"[colloquial expression meaning that the matter is of no importance]. Panayote Dimitras, GHM Spokesperson commented: "The refusal to reply shows in the most evident way that no political force in Greece actually cares about the problems of the Roma. Whatever declarations to the contrary - usually to foreigner experts - are made only in a desperate attempt to mellow the international outcry against Greece. We recall that the NCHR concludes its report by subscribing in 2001 to the director of the European Roma Rights Center Dimitrina Petrova's statement, in 1998, that 'Roma in Greece are not treated like humans'".
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THE LETTER TO THE SUPERPREFECTURE CANDIDATES
Ms. Fofi Gennimata
Mr. Manolis Glezos
Mr. Thanasis Pafilis
Mr. Yiannis Tzannetakos
September 19, 2002
Lady and Gentlemen Candidates for President of the Extended Athens-Piraeus Prefectural Self-Administration,
Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) considers the squalid living conditions of the Roma (Gypsies) to be the most important human rights problem in the area of responsibility of this institution. Their problems are clearly described in the two letters by the Greek Ombudsman to the Prefect of Athens (in March 2001) and the General Secretary of the District (in February 2002) that are attached hereby. Both letters remained unanswered.
We request that you inform us by October 7 how you would have replied to the Greek Ombudsman on this issue, in order to publish your replies a few days later in the context of pre-electoral information for the voters. Naturally, we are at your disposal for any kind of related information you might need.
Sincerely,
Panayote Dimitras
Spokesperson
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THE GREEK OMBUDSMAN
INDEPENDENT ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY
Deputy Greek Ombudsman
Athens, 26 February 2002
Ref. No. 17274/00/2.3
Senior Investigator:
Andreas Takis
Telephone: 72 89 620
Fax: 72 29 129
To the
General Secretary of the Prefecture of Attica
Evaggelistrias 2
105 63 ATHENS
Dear Sir,
As you are already aware, from the large number of documents which I have occasionally forwarded to you, the office of the Greek Ombudsman has received, thus far, a significant number of complaints concerning the problems created by the unhindered establishment and relocation of Roma encampments within the area of Attica. These complaints have come from the Roma themselves, from non-governmental organizations interested in the Social Welfare and Protection of vulnerable communities, and from neighbors living near the Roma encampments. Specifically the complaints made referred to the Roma settlements in the following municipalities: in Halandri (behind the Mint), Agia Paraskevi (the settlement in the "Pefkakia" area), Philothei (behind the Olympic Stadium), Aspropyrgos (the settlement in "Nea Zoe"), in Zephere and Spata. These settlements of course do not comprise the entirety of Roma encampments existing in Attica.
The fact, however, that a large number of citizens' complaints have been submitted to the Ombudsman concerning the issue of Roma settlements indicate, precisely, the severity of the problems generated by the residence of the Roma there, in regards to both, the health and dignity of the Roma themselves, as well as, the property, security and peace of all that live nears. You, I am certain, are aware of these problems from long ago. Moreover, the Ombudsman himself, in his letter to the Prefect of Athens (ref. no. 17724/00/2.2/18.3.2001) concerning the encampments existing within the administrative boundaries of the Prefectural District of Athens, emphasized, but unfortunately without effect, that:
"The aforementioned problems were created by the unhindered violation of the law by the Roma transgressors, the inexcusable, for many years, inertia of a large number of matter and area competent authorities, and the disrepute of the rule of law, caused by the virtual loss, for some of our fellow citizens, not only of their material properties but also of their right to effective judicial protection. Unfortunately, these dangers coexist with other equally important problems, namely: a) the social degradation and the absolute marginalization of our fellow Roma citizens, who subsist under humiliating, in every respect, conditions, b) the consolidation of a feeling of constant insecurity for all that live nears, c) the hanging over us, inevitable signs of racial aversion, d) the unavoidable discredit of the state and finally, e) the danger taking of the law into one's hands".
It must also be pointed out, as it was ascertained by the occasional on-the-scene investigations carried out by the Ombudsman's investigators and by collaboration with police authorities, that some of these encampments, and particularly the one in Aspropyrgos, (where the prolonged and almost total marginalization of the local population, in conjunction with the unhindered infiltration of the settlement by foreign Roma, especially of Albanian citizenship) tend to become transformed into semi-wholesale centers of handling and trafficking hard drugs. This may have disastrous and irreversible consequences on any prospect of their social integration.
The issue of course, for the time being, is not to find or assign ethical and legal blame [to those responsible] for the creation, and above all, for the perpetuation and the heightening of the unacceptable, in every respect, position of the Roma in our country and especially in the capital city itself and its suburbs at the dawn of the new millennium. Not that such an action is unnecessary. Rather, more pressing and requiring immediate confrontation is the issue of the endangerment of public order and security, of social cohesion and, particularly, of our national dignity as a society governed with respect to its citizens and the rule of law. This danger is so immediate and has reached such proportions that it requires the prompt implementation of measures for defusing the existing situation and for the short-term restoration of conditions of dignified living and peaceful coexistence with all that lives nears for these vulnerable communities. It would be redundant to remind you, by way of placing additional emphasis on the urgency of the matter, that the current condition of the Greek Roma has attracted the attention of international organizations in view especially of the hosting of the Olympic games in Athens.
The Greek Ombudsman does not ignore, on the contrary, acknowledges and welcomes as particularly positive the measures for the establishment of an expert Joint-Ministerial Organ on Roma issues. Similarly positive is the legislative provision for supplying housing loans to Roma, as well as the personal interest of the Prime Minister and of the members of his Political Office. Noteworthy also is the sensitivity shown by some municipalities of the capital city and of the Prefecture of Attica. However, as you are very well aware, the materialization of the aforementioned measures is still significantly delayed. (For example, the ministerial decision necessary for supplying housing loans has not yet been issued, nor has there been an accurate registration of all the possible beneficiaries). In any case, these measures are expected to have relatively small impact on defusing the problems that have being accumulated from long ago. Furthermore, as far as the particular interest and the sensitivity expressed by several sides in regards to the problems the Roma face, these are disclosed on occasion and in view of certain concrete local problems. As such, there are not adequate for the systematic confrontation of this explosive issue. Moreover, the effectiveness of any type of measure or of expression of sincere interest, thus far, appear to have been subverted by the inertia, or even by the direct opposition of the local government authorities, which are responsible either by law (as it is the case of prefectutral local government), or by the circumstances (as in the case of the municipalities), to materialize them. It is, thus, characteristic that the aforementioned letter of the Ombudsman addressed to the Prefect of Athens, in which detailed reference is made to concrete problems in correlation with the specific measures provided by law for their confrontation, still remains unanswered. Furthermore, as you are aware, the initiative of the Ombudsman to forward to the competent prosecutor, and to you as well, the file of the case concerning the illegal demolition of the Roma dwellings by the Mayor of Aspropyrgos in the summer of 2000, did not prevent the same mayor from repeating the illegal demolition the following summer, with the same, insulting to human dignity, pretext of "cleaning up garbage". Characteristic also is the inability of the mayor of Halandri to persuade the local municipal council of the necessity of re-locating the existing, in private lands and in desolate condition, Roma encampment behind the Mint. (See minutes from the October 18, 2001 meeting of the Municipal Council of Halandri). The result of this failure is, once again, the endangerment with breakdown of the, approximately three year long, common attempt of the Municipality, of the Greek Ombudsman and the other public authorities to find a solution to this unresolved issue.
In view of all the above, (and prompted to that direction by the Office of Quality of Life of the Political Office of the Prime Minister and by the special adviser of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Decentralization on Roma issues) the Greek Ombudsman, has placed all its hopes for the effective resolution of the problems ?n the substantially funded initiative "Complete Action Program". The program involves the undertaking by the relevant municipalities of the country of specific courses of actions, which unfold under the auspices of the competent Prefectural General Secretaries. I make no secret of the fact that, together with hopes, the Greek Ombudsman, has serious doubts about the potential of this effort to provide, in the foreseeable future, substantial solutions to the existing problems. It is of course self evident that solving the wider problem of the Roma social standing in our country, which in itself is a product of centuries old marginalization practices, constitutes a long term political goal, the realization of which has only just began. The explosive dimensions though which these problems have acquired in certain areas, first among which is the problem of temporary settlement and housing, strongly suggests the need for implementing, in parallel, immediate and short term relief measures. It is thus, reasonable to consider that, the informal time limit of 5 or more years within which the "Complete Action Program" is expected to materialize (in view especially of the well known delays of action of the public administration in our country), appears pessimistically long.
Consequently, I call upon you to please take the necessary actions so that the services you oversee inform me, as soon as possible, [first] of the participation proposals of the aforementioned municipalities of your Prefecture in the "Complete Action Program" and [second] the timetable within which these proposals are expected to be approved and to materialize. Furthermore, please explore, within the framework of your competencies as the commissioner of the functioning of the first and second tiers of local government which belong within your Prefecture, what measures they [i.e., local governments], and particularly the municipalities mentioned above, are willing to take in regards to the immediate confrontation of the problems of settlement and housing of the Roma who belong to their administrative district and to keep me accordingly informed.
My colleagues and myself are always at your disposal for any further clarification or collaboration.
Yours sincerely,
Yorgos Kaminis
Assistant Professor of Cosntitutional Law at the University of Athens
Deputy Ombudsman for Human Rights
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THE GREEK OMBUDSMAN
INDEPENDENT ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY
Athens, 8 March, 2001
Ref. No: 17724/00/2.2
Information:
Andreas Takis
Tel.: 72 89 620
To
Prefect of Athens
Ms. Eleni Besbea
Kifisias 125-127
115 29 ATHENS
Dear Ms Besbea,
Further to the collaboration of the Greek Ombudsman investigators with your social-political advisor Mr. Kotsopoulo, I would like to bring to your attention the continually inflated and heightened problems, which the unhindered establishment of Roma settlements within the administrative boundaries of the Athens Prefectural District (of the Prefectural Authority Athens-Piraeus), has created. This is in combination with the inability or reluctance showed by the embroiled state and local government authorities to perform the competencies bestowed on them by law.
As you, in all likelihood, are aware of, within the confines of your administrative district already exist at least three Roma encampments, whose population has not ceased increase. To be exact, the Roma encampments referred to here are: a) the Roma settlement behind the Mint in Halandri, which consists of about 42-46 families; b) the settlement in the "Pefkakia" area in Agia Paraskevi, which consists of 14-15 families and c) the settlement in the non-build areas behind the Olympic Stadium in Marousi, which includes approximately 20 families. For the first two settlements the original nucleus of Roma nomads dates back at least fifteen years, while the latter settlement is a lot more recent. A common characteristic in the first two cases is the fact that the encampments took place in non-build lands owned not only by the state or the municipality but also by private individuals, who were justifiably alarmed about the fate of their properties. However, the utilization by these individuals of legal means aiming at the eviction the Roma from the lands they had encroached upon, did not have any real practical effect. All attempts to execute the large number of compulsory (unfavorable for the Roma) judicial decisions have failed. The reasons for this failure lie in the inability or the reluctance of the local police force to enforce them, or yet, the selective intervention of local government representatives intended to stifle possible violent clashes. Similar end awaited, of course, the repeated eviction or demolition orders, which were not executed because of the, absurd, inability of the Municipality or the Prefecture to form a demolition took it upon itself to supply electricity and water to the settlement, a course of action, team! Occasionally, as for example in the case of Halandri, the municipal authority took it upon itself to supply electricity and water to the settlement, a course of action, which justifiably enraged the private property owners in the area.
At all events, the (real or pretextual) weakness of the administration to enforce the existing law, for so many years, and the stand of the municipal authorities, which the private property owners openly denounce as harbouring the land transgressors and guiding them for their own selfish purposes, has created the reasonable belief, for all concerned, that despite the illegal nature of the Roma camp in the area its presence there is not really threatened. Based on this belief, many of the Roma who first settled in the area abandoned their nomadic way of life and transformed their original tents and temporary sheds into stable buildings. All the more so, many Roma, particularly in the Halandri case, registered in the municipal role thus officially constituting themselves permanent residents of the district. Moreover, given the Roma social practice of marriage at a young age, today, in the municipal role appears registered a second generation of Roma.
Furthermore, these camps, due to their perceived permanent status, have been transformed into gravity poles for other Roma families seeking refuge. The latter, have been turned away from other regions of Attica (i.e., recently from the area of Aspropyrgos) or the rest of Greece (e.g. from many regions of Peloponnisos) where the authorities are a lot more forceful and or, the local society a lot less tolerant. Thus in Halandri for example, the last few years the original nucleus of the Roma registered in the municipal role, despite the strong upward birthrate trend, has been limited to less than half of the total population living in the Roma municipality.
The aforementioned problems were created by the unhindered violation of the law by the Roma transgressors, the inexcusable, for many years, inertia of a large number of matter and area competent authorities, and the disrepute of the rule of law, caused by the virtual loss, for some of our fellow citizens, not only of their material properties but also of their right to effective judicial protection. Unfortunately, these dangers coexist with other equally important problems, namely: a) the social degradation and the absolute marginalization of our fellow Roma citizens, who subsist under humiliating, in every respect, conditions, b) the consolidation of a feeling of constant insecurity for all that live nears, c) the hanging over us, inevitable signs of racial aversion, d) the unavoidable discredit of the state and finally, e) the danger taking of the law into one's hands.
On several occasions, the Greek Ombudsman has pointed out, in writing, that in order to take off the edge and possibly stifle the aforementioned dangers, it is of dire necessity to immediately bring into action the competent public bodies, so that they can be in a position to provide a clear and binding timetable for the materialization of definite measures. This idea has already been communicated with the opportunity provided by the successive meetings, convened on the Ombudsman's initiative, between the relevant administrative public bodies, including that of the Athens Prefectural Administration. This timetable for action must be able to restore the lost credibility of the state and the local governments in the eyes of the private property owners, the Roma and their neighbors. The simple, in whichever manner, relocation of the existing settlements, on no account can exhaust these measures.
Even if, the private property owners of the encroached upon by the Roma lands, or the neighbors of the settlements, are reasonably interested in the removal of the Roma, the involved public bodies -whether that is the central administration or the local government- are, obviously, further accountable. On the one hand, the imperative of public weal requires that they must solve the problem and not simply transfer it into another region. On the other hand, they have the duty to respect and protect the dignity and the constitutional rights of the Roma. They also must consider the reasonable expectation which has been created in the Roma, that the administration is going to take care of them and that, at all events, they are not going to be simply turned away. This reasonable belief has arisen not only in view of the de facto permanent nature of the Roma presence in the area but, and primarily, by the omissions of the state and the positive actions of public bodies, such as municipal and representatives of the central administration (i.e., the Office of Quality of Life of the Political Office of the Prime Minister, the representative of the Joint-Ministerial Organ for Roma issues etc.). Consequently, the Greek Ombudsman, in agreement with recent judicial decisions, maintains that, the violent expulsion of these persons from the lands they now occupy, can only be permitted on the condition that their removal is preceded by the implementation, from the administration, of measures which would ensure their proper relocation in another suitable space, where they will reside permanently under conditions which meet the basic health and human dignity standards of living. For this reason, precisely, the prompt activation of the relevant public bodies is compelled. They must be steered towards planning and materializing measures for the peaceful relocation of the existing, within the Athens Prefectural administration Roma camps, to suitable grounds with proper infrastructure.
This is essentially the goal of the informal co-ordinating committee, which, as mentioned earlier, was formed on the Ombudsman's initiative. In the committee participate the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministries of the Environment, Urban Planning and Public Works, Labour, Public Order, the Political Office of the Prime Minister, the Athens Prefectural Administration and the Municipality of Halandri. The issue at hand is the relocation of the Halandri Roma settlement. Despite the actions of the committee and of its individual members its endeavors are still confronted by hard to solve problems. Prominent among them is the problem of finding suitable for purchasing lands, from the municipality of Halandri, where infrastructure works can be carried out for the installation of prefabricated homes. (There have been already two failed attempts of invitations for demonstration of interest in the process of acquiring the necessary lands.) Still though, even if this endeavor succeeds it would only apply to the Roma who are already registered in the municipality of Halandri. The more general problem concerning the other Roma living in the region, including of course those of Agia Paraskevi and Marousi, will remain heightened. Consequently the extent and the intensity of the problem require that, without fail, the pursuit and the planning of every possible solution must be at a level higher than any part of municipal authority, possibly even higher than that of the single Attica Basin Prefectural Administration.
The most significant reason for the Ombudsman's address to you is that, in accordance with the law in effect, the authority which has jurisdiction over the systematic handling of the issue of temporary establishment of nomadic populations is the Prefectural Local Authority. For this reason, I submit to you, in their totality, the relevant for this case in-effect provisions of the ref. no A5/696/25.4-11.5.83 common ministerial decision of the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Minister of Health entitled "Sanitary Provision for the organized relocation of wandering nomads" (Government Gazette B' 243).
"Article 1
1. The unchecked, without permit, encampment of wandering nomads (gypsies' etc.) in whatever region is prohibited.
2. The temporary encampment of the aforementioned in makeshift sheds (tents etc.) is permitted, in especially designated areas, provided that there is a prior relevant decision of the Prefect and a permit, granted in conformance with that decision, by the police authority, as long as the preconditions of article 3 are met.
Article 2
1. The designations of appropriate areas are made by the competent Prefectural public services (Health Authority, Department of Urban Planning and Urban Enforcement, Technical Service of Municipalities and Communities), in collaboration with whichever other public service or authority the Prefect appoints, which will select and suggest the area(s) for the settlements.
2. The final approval for the designation of the encampment areas is given with the Prefect's decision, after a consultatory response of the Prefectural Council on the proposal submitted by the Committee, formed for specifically this purpose on the Prefect's order. The Committee's members are representatives from the Health Authority, the TSMC, the Department of Urban Planning and Urban Enforcement, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Police Authorities, the Local Municipal & Community Union of the municipality or community in which the encampment is going to be established, and depending on the case, if it is called for, from Tourism or other public service and authority.
Article 3
1. The lands for the organized encampments of wandering nomads which are going to be designated, in accordance with the article 2 of the present decision, must be outside the inhabited areas and in good distance from the approved urban plan or the last consecutive houses.
2. The accommodation capacity of every ground, in regards to the number of temporary sheds and persons, is determined by the Prefect's decision and it is ruled by the prevalent view of sanitary and humane living.
3. The encampment is prohibited near archaeological sites, beaches, landscapes of natural beauty, visible by main highways points or areas which could affect the public health (springs supplying drinking water, etc.)
4. The grounds of the organized encampment must have the necessary infrastructure which would allow for a healthy living, such as facilities for drinking water, sanitary toilets, containers for garbage collection and disposal and preferably, facilities for individual cleaning in commonly used baths and laundry facilities. The details regarding the health facilities are determined for each specific case by the Heath Authority on the basis of the in-effect provisions and ruled by the idea of protection of the health of the encamped as well as that of the general public.
5. The toilets, baths, laundry installations, and possibly refreshment rooms and other makeshift buildings will conform to the in-effect provisions of General Constructions Regulation.
Article 4
1. The organization and the supervision of the operation of the approved areas of encampment is carried out by the Prefecture, which is able to transfer its jurisdiction and responsibility to interested local governments or other legal persons.
2. The expenses procured for the operation of the encampment can be covered through the imposition of retributive tax decided upon by the decision of the Prefect.
3. On a proposal of the Health Department, the necessary infrastructure works in the encampment areas of the wandering nomads (water supply, washrooms etc.) are incorporated in one of the programs of the Prefectural Revenue Office, and in particular, in the program for "Small sanitary Works" of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare".
The above mentioned provisions, according to the Ombudsman's opinion, are applicable in their totality with the exception of par. 1 of article 3, which specifies that "the lands for the organized encampments of the wandering nomads which are going to be designated, in accordance with the article 2 of the present decision, must be outside the inhabited areas and in good distance from the approved urban plan or the last consecutive houses". In view of the delays that would most certainly occur until the interested parties are definitely established in typical domiciles, the application of this provision entails forms of social exclusion which directly infringe upon the principle of absolute protection of human dignity (article 2 par.1 of the Constitution) and perpetuate distinctions based on racial criteria (article 4 par.1 &5 of the Constitution). Particularly purposeful appears to be, in this case, the dispersion of these persons, within inhabited areas, in groups of blood related nuclear families, so as to, on the one hand, respect up to a certain degree, the traditional Roma perception of residence, and on the other, to avoid as much as possible, the creation of racially segregated residential units, which favour certain antisocial behaviors and incite oppositions from neighbors. Besides, the planning at the Prefectural level allows for a lot more flexibility on such matters.
In view of the above, the Greek Ombudsman considers necessary that the services of Athens Prefectural Administration must immediately proceed with the necessary preparatory activities for the application of the aforementioned provisions in the case of the Roma settlements in Halandri, Agia Paraskevi and Marousi, with goal the issuing by the Prefect of the anticipated deed for the permanent establishment of the Roma. Concretely:
1. It is advisable, taking advantage of the opportunity provided by aforementioned common ministerial decision (article 2, par.1) to assign an expert team to carry out an inspection of the areas of the existing Roma establishment, in the previously mentioned areas, aiming at the most detailed recording of the members of the relevant groups, so that the relocation plan would be done on the basis of the real number of eligible people. Furthermore, this registration will allow the selection of those persons who really need public assistance, since, as it is rumored, certain interested for assistance Roma already possess real estate which they could develop for housing.
2. Simultaneously, the same or other team of experts which is going to be formed on the basis of that provision will seek to discover available spaces within the confines of your administrative prefecture, or, alternatively, within the confines of neighboring local governments and in agreement with them. To begin with, such spaces may already belong to the greek public or the a' and b' degree local governments. It is also advisable to include in the search privately owned lands, which then could perhaps be bought, for the purpose of Roma relocation from the Prefectural Administration.
It is, at all events, necessary that the teams of experts entrusted with recording the number of interested Roma and searching for suitable spaces to come to contact in advance, with members of non-governmental organizations. In particular, the members of "Doctors of the World" (Medicins du Monde), who, in the context of developing medical and social welfare programs have an almost daily presence in the camps and are very active in both the registering of the Roma population and the searching for lands suitable for their relocation. (You should at least consider the possibility of their informal participation in these teams.) Towards the same direction, the participation of local municipal staff who already have experience handling the problem could also be of valuable assistance. Further collaboration with the Roma themselves could be positive considering not only that they have their own association but also, in the final analysis, the whole endeavor concerns their future.
However, besides all the above-mentioned activities, the Athens Prefectural Administration must, somehow, come into contact with both: on the one hand, the Ministry of Internal Affairs which has jurisdiction over the handling of money allocated for financing the reestablishment measures and the social incorporation of Roma. (Within the framework of the Minister's of Internal Affairs presidency of the Joint-Ministerial Organ.) On the other hand, the Athens Prefectural Administration must contact the Public Mortgage Corporation in whose jurisdiction falls the financing and the allocation of lands which belong to the State as a legal entity. I remind you that the Prefecture maintained correspondence with the PMC pertaining to the allocation of lands for the relocation of Roma living in Agia Paraskevi, with unknown, to us, outcome. It is imperative that this avenue of communication is promptly revived.
Lastly, it is also considered necessary the immediate start of the collaboration of Athens Prefectural Administration (for the total number of encampments within its jurisdiction) with the aforementioned committee. This committee created on an Ombudsman's initiative has the participation of all involved Ministries, Local Authorities, and the office of the Prime Minister and is aiming at confronting, in particular, the problems of the Roma living in Halandri. The collaboration with this committee is necessary considering that its members are exactly those persons who are entrusted with handling the Roma issues. Your advisor, Mr. Kotsopoulos, who represents the Athens Prefectural Administration in the committee, has all the relevant data and is in a position to provide you a complete briefing.
In view of the above, I would like to underline once again the seriousness of the problems which emerged in regards to the Roma residing in your prefecture. The acuteness of these problems is even more intensified by the fact that these problems have become known to international organizations such as the Council of Europe, The Organization For the Security and Cooperation in Europe, and very recently, of the International Olympic Committee. The president of IOC is reported to have made -written-austere comments regarding the eventuality of violent expulsion of Roma from the areas about to be developed in the framework of the Olympic games 2004. For this reason, I request that you inform me, as soon as possible, about the courses of action you are planning to take in regards to the issues discussed here and the relevant proposals of the Greek Ombudsman. I would also like to communicate to me, if it exists, any long-standing correspondence of the Prefect of Athens with the Public Mortgage Corporation related to the relocation of the encamped within your prefecture Roma.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Yiorgos Kaminis
Assistant Professor of Constitutional Law at Athens University
Deputy Ombudsman for Human Rights
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Internet Addresses: Balkan Human Rights Web Pages: http://www.greekhelsinki.gr
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GHM Board: Panayote Dimitras, Orestis Georgiadis, Dimitrina Petrova, Alan Phillips, Gregory Vallianatos.
International Advisory Committee: Savvas Agouridis, Teuta Arifi, Ivo Banac, Vladimir Bilandzic, Marcel Courthiade, Loring Danforth, Fernand de Varennes, Victor-Yves Ghebali, Henri Giordan, Krassimir Kanev, Will Kymlicka, Magda Opalski, Theodore S. Orlin, Dimitrina Petrova, Alan Phillips, Aaron Rhodes, Vladimir Solonari, Patrick Thornberry, Stefan Troebst, Boris Tsilevich, Tibor Varady, Marc Weller.
Affiliation to International Organizations: Consortium of Minority Resources (COMIR), Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN), European Roma Rights Center (ERRC), International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF), Minority Rights Group International (MRGI), One World Net, South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), World Organization Against Torture (OMCT).
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