The death of Muhammad Kamran Ashiq, a 37-year-old Pakistani man in police custody in Athens on September 21, demands an immediate and thorough independent investigation. Disturbing images circulating online appear to show severe injuries to Ashiq’s body, fueling questions about the circumstances surrounding his death.
In a statement on September 26, the police said Ashiq had been arrested a few days earlier in connection with a domestic violence incident. According to the statement, a minor incident occurred between Ashiq and other detainees, and he was immediately moved to another area of the station. Police officers found Ashiq unconscious the morning of September 21, the statement said. It added that a preliminary investigation is underway, including a forensic examination and autopsy, to determine the exact cause of death.
The grassroots Movement United Against Racism and the Fascist Threat (KEERFA) claims that Ashiq was transferred between five different police stations and denied access to his family and lawyer before his death. In 2012, Human Rights Watch documented allegations of police misconduct at Aghios Panteleimonas station, where Ashiq died.
In July, the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture said that during a visit to Greece in 2023, it “again received several credible and consistent allegations of deliberate physical ill-treatment of detained foreign nationals by police officers in certain police stations [Omonia and Kolonos] in Athens.”
These accounts, coupled with the European Court of Human Rights’ repeated condemnation of Greece for its failure to address ill-treatment by police, underscore the need for action.
It is imperative that Greek judicial authorities, in collaboration with the Greek Ombudsman’s office—as the National Mechanism for the Investigation of Arbitrary Incidents—conduct a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into Ashiq’s death to determine the cause and circumstances surrounding it. All those responsible for any wrongdoing should be held accountable, regardless of their rank or position.
Ashiq’s death is a somber reminder that Greece needs to adopt a “zero tolerance” approach to police violence. The government should comply fully with its obligations under international human rights law, including the absolute prohibition on torture and ill-treatment, and ensure all people, regardless of their nationality, immigration status, or ethnic origin, are treated with dignity and their rights are respected.
