Summary

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, visited Greece from 13 to 22 June 2022. The main objective of the visit was to assess the situation of human rights defenders in the context of the State’s obligations and commitments under international human rights law. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur analyses the context in which human rights defenders operate in the country, including consideration of the relevant legal framework and whether the environment in which they work is safe and enabling. The report focuses, in particular, on the situation of human rights defenders working in the area of migration, promoting and defending the rights of migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers. The Special Rapporteur makes a number of recommendations, with a view to assisting the Government and other relevant actors in their efforts to create a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders.