As the Thessaloniki Gay Pride Festival looms, allegations of police misconduct have surfaced. Lawyer Electra-Leda Koutra claims to have been harassed by police officers when communicating with her transgender client and was later detained, without any explanation.
According to the lawyer, the police officers taunted her that she “got herself locked up”. When she was eventually released, the officer on duty refused to file her complaint against the police officers. When Mrs. Koutra filed a complaint at another police department, the prosecutor refused to proceed with any arrests as the police officers were on duty.
The Transgender Support Association (SYD) issued a statement denouncing “the fascist practices of the police, reminiscent of the dark ages”. The Association has announced its intention to seek justice over the trampling of the rights of transgender and the lawyer, by referring to the courts and international organizations.
The human rights group “Pleiades” has also noted that there is a sharp rise in targeting human rights advocates and request that the Ministry of Public Order take all necessary measures to safeguard the rights and safety of transgendered citizens.
