By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

ATHENS, Greece – Protests in Athens have erupted into violent clashes with police today on the anniversary of an unarmed teenager being killed by a police officer.

On December 6, 2008, 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos was shot and killed in Athens. Grigoropoulos and a friend were arguing with two police officers and one officer went back to his patrol car to get a gun, then returned and shot Grigoropoulos dead. Violent protests lasted for two weeks following the killing. Epaminondas Korkoneas, the police officer who killed Grigoropoulos, is serving a life sentence for the murder. Vasilis Saraliotis, the other police officer involved in the incident, is serving a 10 year sentence for accessory to murder.

Now, nearly 6,000 people are protesting in Athens again to mark the anniversary, and around 18,500 police officers are ready for the protests. Marches turned violent as protesters broke into a clothing store and stole clothes to burn in the street. The neighborhoods of Exarchia and Thessaloniki have held most of the fighting, with police firing tear gas and pepper spray. Over 200 protesters have been arrested, and so far no casualties have been reported. Fighting and protests appear to be going strong into the night.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is going to meet with the parents of Nikos Romanos, a friend of Grigoropoulos who was present for his killing. Followers of Romanos have been some of the leaders of current protests, as Romanos is currently being hospitalized due to a hunger strike that has lasted nearly a month, and he was imprisoned anyways due to participation in a bank robbery including a hostage early last year.

For more information, please see:

Huffington Post – Violent Protests Mark Anniversary of Police Killing in Greece – 6 December 2014

BBC – Clashes at Greek Protests to Mark Police Shooting – 6 December 2014

ABC News – Protests in Greece on Police Shooting Anniversary – 6 December 2014

The Telegraph – Violence Erupts in Greece – 6 December 2014

Greek Reporter – Alexandros Grigoropoulos: The Killing that Shook Greece – 6 December 2014

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

ATHENS, Greece – Over 200 Syrian refugees in Greece have had enough of the lack of rights given to refugees, and so a hunger strike has begun in the capital. Overcrowding of refugees in Greece, as well as in other nations, has led to decreases in space and care for refugees, leading many of them to struggle in Europe.

The number of Syrian refugees has recently skyrocketed in Greece. In 2013, Greece saw 8,500 Syrian refugees, while just 10 months into 2014 there has already been around 29,000 refugees from Syria. Overall, roughly 165,000 Syrian refugees have come into Europe since the start of the Syrian war.

An EU regulation, “Dublin II”, requires refugees to apply for asylum in the EU country they first “step foot in”. This prevents Syrian refugees from applying for asylum in harder to reach countries like Germany that would grant more rights along with asylum. Instead, the refugees must settle for nations like Greece, Albania, or Bulgaria that offer less rights to refugees.

The issue is certainly pressing as more and more Syrian refugees attempt to make their way into southern Europe. One such country that has seen its fair share of refugees is Italy, which began rescuing refugees stranded in the Mediterranean Sea earlier this year after one tragedy led Pope Francis to ask Italy to intervene. These sea missions are still very recent, with another 270 Syrian refugees being rescued today off the North Cypriot coast. The High Refugee Commission has stated that over 2,500 migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea already this year while trying to cross into Europe.

Another big problem facing the Syrian refugees in Europe is the lack of jobs in the easier to reach countries like Greece. The economies in these nations are struggling even with their own citizens, and their own citizens seem to be taking priority in the eyes of locals and the governments. So Syrian refugees are left with a tough decision: apply for asylum in the first nation they can make it to and try to make due with the little out there and the few rights given, or attempt to make it to a country like Germany that has more to offer, but risk the consequences of getting caught along the way by another nation, like Albania, that has shot at Syrian refugees trying to cross the border.

For more information, please see:

The Wall Street Journal – Syrian Refugees in Greece Launch Hunger Strike for Asylum, Aid – 24 November 2014

Irish Times – Syrian refugees seek fresh start from Greek destitution – 24 November 2014

Middle East Monitor – 270 Syrian refugees rescued off North Cypriot coast – 24 November 2014

Global Post – For Syrian refugees fleeing to Europe, Bulgaria isn’t enough – 18 November 2014

BBC – Syria’s refugees yearning for the lost ‘old life’ – 17 November 2014

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – It’s been five years since Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky died in a Russian prison at the age of 37 and under suspicious circumstances. Even so, Russia is still looking to bring self-claimed “justice” over Bill Browder, a former associate of Magnitsky.

Browder was the leader of the largest Russia-only investment firm in the world, Hermitage Capital Management. Browder’s company was worth over $4.5 billion by the early 2000’s. Magnitsky worked as a lawyer for Browder back when things were good.

As Browder became more and more successful, he began pushing for more transparency in Russian capitalism. In addition, Browder also pushed to expose corruption in Russian companies, hoping ultimately to have Russian capitalism come closer to Western models and encourage more mixing between the markets. When Vladimir Putin came to power, however, Browder’s goals were frustrated.

In 2005, Browder made a trip to Britain, but was refused re-entry into Russia after. Shortly thereafter, Browder’s company was declared to have $1 billion in “liabilities,” claimed by Browder to have come from fictitious documents. Quickly, Russia had other officials step in and attempt to clean up the mess Browder allegedly created.

Browder tried to have Magnitsky also flee, fearing what would happen if Russia decided to go after Magnitsky too. Instead, Magnitsky stayed behind and investigated very openly and expressly the fraud that Russia had committed on Brower and his company. He even testified against a group of Interior Ministry officers who allegedly stole over 5 billion rubles, or $230 million, from Russia’s Treasury. Magnitsky was imprisoned by these same officers on bogus charges, and he remained in prison until his physical condition worsened. Doctors were denied to Magnitsky, and under debated circumstances he passed away.

For the 5^th anniversary of Magnitsky’s death, Browder has come out with a statement regarding circumstances surrounding Magnitsky. Browder calls into question the “natural causes” that led to Magnitsky’s death. Browder questions why Magnitsky was alleged to have been guilty of crimes but never uncovered any in his investigation. And Browder questions how the Russian state officials involved in the case were all exonerated. Finally, Browder discussed one success in the search for justice that has come since Magnitsky’s death. The United States passed the Magnitsky Act, banning certain Russian officials implicated in the case from entering the US.

After a trial in 2013 posthumously found Magnitsky guilty and Browder guilty in a trial in absentia, Browder was sentenced by a Russian court to 9 years in prison. Russia has repeatedly tried to get Interpol, the international police force, to retrieve Browder from Britain and bring him to Russia, and Russia has repeatedly been denied. However, Interpol has recently decided to give Russia another chance to make their case.

For more information, please see:

Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty – Interpol Said To Eye New Russian Bid For Browder’s Arrest – 17 November 2014

The New York Times – Putin Plays Hardball – 17 November 2014

Law and Order in Russia – Statement by Bill Browder on 5^th Anniversary of Sergei Magnitsky’s Killing in Russia – 16 November 2014

The Moscow Times – From the Archive: Magnitsky’s Death Was No Accident – 14 November 2014

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine – The already-shaky ceasefire agreed to on September 5 in Minsk, Belarus seems to be in its final days. NATO has confirmed a new Russian presence in and around Donetsk, Ukraine, following reports from the past few days of Russian tanks, troops, and supply trucks crossing the Ukrainian border after mobilizing for the past week along the Russian side of the border. As seen in Crimea, however, they all remain unmarked and without identifying insignia.

Ukrainian military officials, monitors for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and NATO have all confirmed the presence of Russian troops and various military equipment in and around Donetsk and flowing into the country. One convoy of 43 unmarked military trucks was witnessed Tuesday heading towards Donetsk. Five of the trucks were towing 120mm howitzer artillery pieces, and five others were carrying multi-launch rocket systems. A report last week reported more than 40 Russian trucks and tankers, also unmarked, and 19 of which were towing 122mm howitzers, were in Ukraine. There is an estimated 7,000 Russian troops inside Ukraine now, along with an estimated 100 Russian tanks, more than 400 armored vehicles, and more than 150 self-propelled artillery and multiple rocket launchers.

Along the border of Ukraine on the Russian side is a very alarming sight as well. According to Phillip Karber, a former Pentagon strategy advisor who has worked with the Ukrainian government, between 40,000 and 50,000 Russian troops remain just across the border, along with another 350 to 400 tanks, more than 1,000 armored vehicles, and 800 self-propelled artillery.

In a fight that has claimed over 4,000 lives, it appears that fighting may go back to pre-ceasefire numbers and could claim many more lives very shortly. Although the Russian troops, vehicles, and equipment in Ukraine are all unmarked, U.S. General and NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe Philip Breedlove states, “[t]here is no question any more about Russia’s direct military involvement in Ukraine.” Russia continues to deny any of the alleged involvement. In response, Ukrainian Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak said Ukraine will no longer pay attention to Moscow’s denials of involvement, that Ukraine is “repositioning our armed forces to respond to the actions of the fighters.”

For more information, please see:

New York Times – Russian Troops Crossing Into Ukraine, NATO Says – 12 November 2014

Reuters – Ukraine redeploys troops, fearing new rebel offensive – 12 November 2014

Time – Russia Sends More Convoys Into Ukraine as Cease-Fire Collapses – 12 November 2014

CNN – Ukraine violence flares as ceasefire collapses – 11 November 2014

Daily Beast – Thousands of Putin’s Troops Now in Ukraine, Analysts Say – 11 November 2014