Amnesty International, in a new report, states that police use excessive force during demonstrations against protesters, photojournalists, and journalists, resulting in serious injuries.
The report is titled “Protest Is Not a Battlefield: Patterns of Unlawful Police Violence and Impunity.” Among its findings, it concludes that “these deeply concerning violations are supported by protest legislation that does not comply with international and regional standards, as well as by a persistent culture of impunity for human rights violations committed by law enforcement officials policing demonstrations.”
One example is the injury of photojournalist Marios Lolos, who suffered hearing loss and a head injury after being struck by a stun grenade.
The report also highlights that protesters, journalists, and lawyers who spoke to Amnesty International “were subjected to arbitrary deprivation of liberty and described unnecessary and/or degrading body searches, unlawful use of force during arrest and/or detention, and denial of medical assistance. They also reported that police failed to ensure their right to notify a person outside the detention facility and failed to provide them with food.”
Regarding the use of stun grenades by police, the report states that they “have no place in crowd control,” as media workers and protesters have suffered permanent injuries, including hearing loss, and calls for their use to be banned.
One example cited is the injury of photojournalist Marios Lolos, who suffered hearing loss and a head injury after being struck by a stun grenade thrown by a police officer on January 26, 2025, while covering a demonstration related to the Tempi railway disaster.
Source: Διεθνής Αμνηστία
What is fyi.news?
